Manama: On behalf of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, attended the award ceremony of the 2025 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Education. The event was hosted at the University of Bahrain, marking the first time the award ceremony has been held outside UNESCO's headquarters in Paris.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the ceremony, organized by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education, coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the award's launch. His Royal Highness emphasized that His Majesty the King's commitment to the prize has reinforced Bahrain's leadership in education, highlighting the importance of technology in enhancing educational outcomes and supporting sustainable development.
His Royal Highness underscored the global impact of the award, which fosters educational innovation and promotes best practices to build inclusive knowledge societies. HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad noted that Bahrain's commitment to educational innovation dates back over a century, positioning the Kingdom as a leader in global education.
During the ceremony, HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister presented awards to four winning projects: Al4InclusiveEducation by La Scientoth¨que (Belgium), Piau Inteligªncia Artificial by Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and the Education Department of the State of Piau (Brazil), Mahara-Tech by Information Technology Institute (Egypt), and Experience Al by Raspberry Pi Foundation (UK). His Royal Highness congratulated the winners and wished them further success.
In his speech, His Excellency Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, Minister of Education, expressed gratitude to His Majesty the King for his continued patronage of the Prize and thanked HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister for supporting Bahrain's education sector. Dr Juma highlighted the significance of hosting the ceremony in Bahrain for the first time since the prize's inception.
Professor Kaska Porayska-Pomsta, Chairperson of the international jury of the Prize, discussed the theme's importance in shaping education's future, emphasizing the ethical use of AI and its role in advancing human cognition and empowering learners.
Her Excellency Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, also expressed appreciation for His Majesty's commitment to education and praised Bahrain for hosting the ceremony. She highlighted the Prize's role in supporting UNESCO's mission to leverage technology for educational access and opportunity worldwide, and congratulated the winners on their achievements.