Innovations in Education Contest: Building a Community of Educational Innovators
About the Innovations in Education Contest
For over a decade, the Innovations in Education Contest has brought together educators, researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and interdisciplinary teams who are developing solutions to contemporary educational challenges. The contest welcomes projects at all stages, from initial concepts to fully implemented initiatives, and from all levels of education, including school, higher education, and adult and lifelong learning.
According to Diana Koroleva, Director of the Innovations in Education Contest, the key value of the initiative lies in the community that has formed around it:
Our contest has a long history—for 12 years we have been bringing together educational innovations from across the country and beyond, and interest in the Innovations in Education Contest continues to grow. But what matters most to us is the community that forms around KIVO. Among the participants are innovators who go on to become experts, teams that apply year after year and find value in the community regardless of the outcome, and those who win on their first attempt. This diversity and interdisciplinarity make our community truly unique. We are glad to see that it lives and develops far beyond the contest period itself.
Global Expertise
The Innovations in Education Contest is open to international participation and actively fosters global engagement in educational innovation. Teams and individuals from outside Russia are welcome to submit projects that contribute to cross-cultural exchange and shared learning, as well as the expansion of educational practices across borders.
A key feature of the contest's global scope is its international jury, comprising esteemed experts from around the globe who assess the finalist projects and contribute to the contest's professional discourse. In 2025, the chairs of the international jury included:
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Prof. Luiz Cláudio Costa, Rector, IESB University, Brazil, Brasília
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Ms. Su Rui, Chief of Knowledge Production and Communications Centre, International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI)
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Dr. Fozia Ahmed Baloch, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, BUITEMS, Pakistan, Quetta
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Dr. Maina Gioko, Head of Professional Development Center Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Kenya. Adjunct Assistant Professor Aga Khan University Institute of Education East Africa
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Dr. Ghulam Jan, Head of the Department Management Sciences and Trainer of Entrepreneurship, Assistant Professor, University of Turbat, Pakistan, Turbat, Balochistan
KIVO in 2025
The 2025 season showcased the diversity and scope of the Innovations in Education Contest. A total of 1,393 applications were submitted by 1,311 teams, bringing together 3,242 participants from 77 Russian regions and eight neighbouring countries. The participants represented a wide range of ages, professional backgrounds and educational contexts.
Following an expert review, 12 projects were selected as finalists to progress to the final stage. These initiatives addressed challenges such as inclusive education, AI in learning, financial and legal literacy, environmental education, and entrepreneurship.
Clear Books, a project focused on creating adapted children’s books using international graphic symbols to support non-speaking children, was the overall winner of the 2025 season. The project’s founder, Alexandra Kazarinova, is an individual entrepreneur who works with infants and preschool children with speech impairments. Together with a team of speech and special education specialists, she develops books in which every word of the text is translated into an international system of graphic symbols.
My impression of the contest was that I was being guided and supported every step of the way—I could feel the organisers' energy throughout the entire journey. The funds I received as the overall winner and winner of a thematic nomination will be used to buy New Year gifts: we will print a book and send it to the parents who submitted requests," Alexandra Kazarinova shared her experience.
In addition to the main award, Alfa-Bank, the contest’s general partner, presented three special nominations, and the winners of these received cash awards. Special nominations were also introduced by other partners, including academic institutions, innovation accelerators and industry organisations.
The international jury, comprising members from Brazil, Kenya and Pakistan, highlighted both the educational depth and the social significance of the projects presented.
It was truly a pleasure and an honor to participate as a jury member in such an important event as the 2025 KIVO Educational Innovation Competition. The initiative plays a significant role in advancing innovative practices in education, and I am delighted to have contributed to a process that fosters creativity, excellence, and meaningful transformation in teaching and learning.
I would also like to extend my warm congratulations to the winners, particularly the team behind Clear Books. The project reflects a high level of quality and innovation, and it is inspiring to see ideas with real potential to positively impact the educational landscape,” said Prof. Luiz Cláudio Costa.
Sharing his impressions of the contest, Dr. Ghulam Jan noted:
It was a very wonderful experience for me to be a part of KIVO. Further, I have shared your website with my students and faculty to know more about this competition. You are really doing a great job. I want to be part of your competition in the future as well.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The Innovations in Education Contest is set to continue in 2026. Ideas for the next season were developed during a strategic session organised by the Institute of Education and its partners and finalists.
Irina Martusevich, Vice-Rector of HSE University, noted that the contest reflects the diversity of educational projects, both technological and social, and spans different levels of education:
This is what makes it unique. It provides a platform for the exchange of ideas, stimulates innovation, and enables authors to bring their projects to life, regardless of the field or scale of the initiative.
Follow updates on the Innovations in Education Contest's official website: