Abu Dhabi – Friday, 18 September 2026
\nProfessor Abu Syeid Mohammed Parves Shonchoy, Professor of Economics at Florida International University and an Affiliated Professor at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, said that the lasting positive humanitarian impact of the UAE\u2019s Khalifa International Award for Early Learning has become a key pillar in advancing scientific research and specialized studies that examine the current state of the early childhood sector and anticipate its future.
\nHe expressed his research team\u2019s pride in winning the Award in the Best Research and Studies category for early childhood development. The team, which includes a group of researchers, was recognized for its study on a healthy nutrition model for young children in several areas of Bangladesh. The study was implemented over approximately 15 months, from June 2014 to August 2015, across 78 community clinics in three districts located in three divisions of Bangladesh.
\nProfessor Shonchoy highlighted the significance of the study\u2019s findings, which offer a model that could be replicated in similar settings worldwide. The results showed a notable improvement of 0.17 standard deviations in children\u2019s cognitive development, 0.23 in language skills, and between 0.12 and 0.14 in social and emotional development after 15 months of programme implementation.
\nHe added that the programme also contributed to reducing child malnutrition, with wasting and underweight rates declining by 4.8 and 2.9 percentage points, respectively. School enrolment among older siblings also increased.
\nHe explained that, at a cost of just US$6.84 per child, the programme achieved an estimated internal rate of return of approximately 19%. These findings provide the first experimental evidence from South Asia that preventive and remedial programmes providing healthy nutrition to support early childhood development can be effectively delivered through existing government systems. The research also offers a sustainable model for improving early learning outcomes at scale in resource-constrained settings, underpinned by rigorous methodology and a clear impact on children, families and service-delivery mechanisms.
\nProfessor Shonchoy said: \u201cWe are proud of this achievement and look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Khalifa Award for Education, one of the institutions under Erth Zayed Philanthropies, to reinforce the lasting positive impact of this study and expand it in the coming period. The model also has the potential to be replicated and applied in settings facing similar constraints in the resources allocated to early childhood care.\u201d
\nFor his part, Humaid Al Houti, Secretary General of the Khalifa Award for Education, said the Award is proud of the prominent standing it has achieved globally. He stressed that the research team\u2019s win reflects the growing recognition the Award continues to gain among leading academic and research institutions worldwide, which the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning seeks to engage by highlighting the best scientific and applied practices they adopt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Abu Dhabi – Friday, 18 September 2026 Professor Abu Syeid Mohammed Parves Shonchoy, Professor of Economics at Florida International University and an Affiliated Professor at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, said that the lasting positive humanitarian impact of the UAE\u2019s Khalifa …<\/p>\n