The Yidan Prize (/i:dan/) is an annual award founded in 2016 by Chen Yidan for "contributions to education research and development". The prize is financed and governed by a (about US$320 million) independent trust. It is a global, inclusive education award which recognizes changemakers who inspire progress in education for a better world, and has been referred to as the largest education prize on Earth.
The Yidan Prizes consist of a gold medal designed by ink-brush artist , a cash prize of and a project fund of HK$15 million to each of the winners or winning teams, one for education research, the other for education development. It is supported by a US$320 million endowment. Prizes are awarded at the annual Yidan Prize Awards Presentation Ceremony in conjunction with an education conference.
Nominations are open to everyone. They can be submitted by universities, government agencies, think tanks or educators. The nominations are reviewed by the Yidan Prize Judging Committee, an independent body made up of two panels. Former Director-General of UNESCO, Kà Âichirà  Matsuura, is the chairman of the Yidan Prize Judging Committee. Dorothy K. Gordon heads the Yidan Prize for Education Development judging panel, and Andreas Schleicher heads the Yidan Prize for Education Research judging panel.
Judging criteria include being future-oriented, innovative, transformative, and sustainable.
Two awards are given each year, one for education research, the other for education development.
In 2017 the Yidan Prize Foundation released a Worldwide "Educating for the Future" Index (researched by the Economist Intelligence Unit) comparing the education in 35 developed and developing economies (ranking by 16 indicators of education policy, "teaching environment" and "socio-economic environment"), placing New Zealand and Canada in the top two places.