India’s Ashish Dhawan, Founder and Chairperson of the Central Square Foundation, and Pranav Kothari, CEO of Educational Initiatives (Ei), have been named among the ten Finalists for the inaugural Asia Education Medal. Founded this year by T4 Education and HP, the new award will be given to an outstanding individual who has demonstrated impact, leadership, and advocacy in the field of education.
The Asia Education Medal recognises the tireless work of those who are transforming education across the continent – celebrating the stories of those who have lit the spark of change so others will be inspired to take up the torch. It is given to an outstanding individual who has demonstrated impact, leadership, and advocacy in the field of education.
The winner of the Asia Education Medal will be invited to attend the World Schools Summit in Dubai on 23-24 November and, in recognition of the urgent need to solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis to tackle learning gaps, the winner will be entitled to nominate a school of their choice to receive membership of T4 Education’s Best School to Work programme – an independent, evidence-based mechanism to certify schools for their culture and help them transform their working environment to attract and retain the best teachers.
Mayank Dhingra, Senior Education Business Leader at HP, said:
“Congratulations to India’s Ashish Dhawan and Pranav Kothari on being named Finalists for the Asia Education Medal 2024. Their passion and dedication to transforming education will inspire countless others to follow in their footsteps in building a world where quality education is enjoyed by all.
“HP has a bold goal to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people globally by 2030. Only by joining forces and aligning with NGOs, government, educators and businesses can we truly improve the education environment. The Asia Education Medal brings together all those who are changing the face of Asian education, whose work we must all learn from if the world is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
Vikas Pota, Founder and CEO of T4 Education, said:
“The Asia Education Medal honours changemakers where change is needed most. Where learning gaps remain stubbornly persistent and where deep inequalities remain.
“If we are to tackle these colossal challenges, and unlock the continent’s future, we must build a community of leaders from every sphere of society committed to educational transformation. Leaders like Ashish Dhawan and Pranav Kothari. Asia, and the world, has so much to learn from your inspirational stories and your vital contribution to the next generation.”
Ashish Dhawan is the Founder and Chairperson of the Central Square Foundation (CSF), one of the most important contemporary education philanthropies in India. His work to successfully champion Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) has made him one of the most influential education philanthropists in India in the last decade. Founded in 2012, CSF played a catalytic role in centring FLN as the primary objective of the K-12 education ecosystem in India, which serves 250 million children.
Pranav Kothari is CEO of Educational Initiatives (Ei) in India, an organisation that employs the twin levers of cutting-edge pedagogical research and technology-based solutions to help students across different socio-economic backgrounds learn with understanding. Through his work, Kothari has sought to address the challenge that while school enrollment has expanded in India with the broadening of the country’s education infrastructure, schooling has not translated into learning.
The Finalists for the Asia Education Medal 2024 are:
- Ashish Dhawan, Founder and Chairperson, Central Square Foundation, India
- Baela Jamil, CEO, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) – Centre for Education and Consciousness, Pakistan
- Duriya Aziz Singapore Wala, Senior Vice President (Education, International), Scholastic Inc, Singapore
- Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Commissioner, Commission on Higher Education, Philippines
- Korvi Rakshand, Founder & Executive Director, JAAGO Foundation, Bangladesh
- Nargish Khambatta, Principal & CEO GEMS Modern Academy, UAE
- Pranav Kothari , CEO, Educational Initiatives, India
- Shahnaz Al-Sadat, Chairperson, LeapEd Services Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
- Shinichi Yamanaka, President, KADOKAWA DWANGO Education Institute, Japan
- Yuhyun Park, Founder & CEO, DQ Institute, Singapore
Nominations for the Asia Education Medal opened in February 2024 for individuals working to improve pre-kindergarten, K-12, vocational and university education who are either educators or school leaders, civil society leaders, public servants, government officials, political leaders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, or technologists.
The Asia Education Medal is one of the three World Education Medals established by T4 Education and HP. It joins the Africa Education Medal, which was founded in 2022 and has grown to be Africa’s most prestigious education accolade, as well as the new Latin America Education Medal which was also launched this year.
The winner will be announced in October. They will be chosen by a Jury comprising prominent individuals based on rigorous criteria.
