By Alieu Jallow
Mamadou Amadou Ly, Executive Director of Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED), has received the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Development, widely regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious awards in the field.
Ly is being recognised for his pioneering bilingual education models that are transforming the way children learn across West and Central Africa, including The Gambia. His approach combines national languages with formal languages to strengthen literacy and numeracy, giving children the tools to succeed both in school and in their communities.
ARED’s community-based and culturally rooted programmes have already influenced education policy in The Gambia, where teachers and learners benefit from more accessible and effective materials. These resources, openly available through the Early Learning Resource Network, are helping schools improve foundational learning outcomes.
“The Yidan Prize for Education Development will allow ARED to significantly accelerate its work, proving that bilingual, community-driven education grounded in robust data and accessible to all can close learning gaps and inspire public policy,” Ly said.
Dorothy Gordon, head of the Yidan Prize Education Development judging panel, praised Ly’s achievements as “a visionary path to inclusive and equitable learning environments that safeguard linguistic and cultural identities while improving opportunities for learners globally.”
The 2025 Yidan Prize includes HK$30 million (about US$3.8 million), half of which will be dedicated to scaling up ARED’s education initiatives. Ly will be honoured at the awards ceremony on December 6 in Hong Kong, alongside Professor Uri Wilensky of Northwestern University, who received the prize for Education Research.
For The Gambia, Ly’s recognition underscores the growing importance of bilingual and inclusive education in shaping a stronger future for children and communities.
