UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development

The UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development was established in 2008 under the directions of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Prize aims to support and improve the quality of teaching and learning at the global level, and to enhance the performance of teachers to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education, which is one of UNESCO’s priorities.

Every two years, the Prize rewards three winners from around the world whose projects have shown outstanding achievement in enhancing teachers' performance and effectiveness, and it amounts to US $ 300,000, divided equally among the three winners.

The Secretariat of the Prize stands ready to provide you with any additional information that you may require (tel.: +33 1 45 68 23 22 - E-mail: teacherprize@unesco.org)

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Institutions or organizations; international or national governmental or non-governmental organizations; educational or research institutions active in the field of teaching and learning.
  • Candidate organizations and institutions nominated by an official nominating body:
        1. 1. Member States in consultation with their National Commissions
        2. 2. Non-governmental organizations in official partnership with UNESCO active in a field covered by the Prize.
  • Applications must be submitted in English or in French only.
  • Only organizations and institutions' projects will be considered. Self-nominations are not eligible for the Prize and will not be considered.

What are the conditions of the project’s eligibility?

  • The project must have made a significant contribution to enhancing teaching and learning, in line with UNESCO’s principles and objectives in this field.
  • The project must be exemplary and likely to stimulate similar initiatives; it must have shown itself to be effective in mobilizing new intellectual and material resources.
  • The project must be ongoing for at least three years at the time of the application.

How to nominate a project?

Nominations can be submitted in two ways:

  1. Candidates may contact the National Commission for UNESCO of their country or an Organization maintaining official relations with UNESCO to request a nomination letter.
  2. 2- Nominating bodies identify nominees and send them a nomination letter.
  • Each body can nominate up to 5 candidates before the deadline, and the nomination letter must comply with the Prize requirements.
  • The nomination letter is uploaded by the candidate in the online platform. In exceptional cases where candidates do not have access to Internet, nominating bodies can request access to the online platform to submit the candidate nomination and application.

How to apply?

  • Candidates must register online on the following link: to request an account. In doing so, candidates must comply with the eligibility requirements.
  • After registration is completed, only eligible candidates receive an invitation link via email to access and complete the online application form.
  • Candidates receive an email notification once they submit their application. The nominating body also receives an automatic notification of the candidate application.
  • The nominated application is received by the UNESCO Secretariat, the application process is complete.

When is the deadline to apply?

  • The deadline for applications is 31 October 2023 (midnight, Paris time). The online platform will be closed after the deadline.

Selection process

  • The Prize Secretariat reviews all applications received before the deadline and transmits the eligible applications to the International Jury of the Prize.
  • The International Jury composed of five distinguished professionals chosen for their high level of knowledge and experience in teacher-related issues. The jury members are nominated by the Director-General of UNESCO. They represent all geographical regions of the world, according to the international classification.
  • The International Jury meets in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to assess the applications.
  • UNESCO Director-General selects the three winners based on the recommendations of the International Jury.
  • The Prize is awarded to the winners during an official ceremony organized on 5th October 2023 on World Teachers’ Day at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris (France).
Site guide