New Delhi: Binoy Job from India has been appointed as a member of a jury that selects the winner of what is hailed as the Nobel Prize for Teachers.
The London-based Global Teacher Prize Academy (GTPA) announced Job’s appointment on Sunday.
The Varkey Foundation, the world’s largest network of schools from kindergarten to the twelfth grade, set up the 1-million-dollar prize in 2014 to raise the stature of the teaching profession. Former US President Bill Clinton is the chairperson of the academy.
The Prize is given to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. The academy selects the global teacher from around the world.
Job, 40, is the only Indian in the 82-member academy. The academy is made up of head-teachers, educational experts, commentators, journalists, public officials, tech entrepreneurs, company directors and scientists from around the world.
“Education remains a passion for me and I am a firm believer in the power of youth,” job told Matters India reacting to the news about his appointment.
According to him, education is the most powerful tool in empowering the youth. “Hence all my social initiatives are linked with education and youth.”
He termed as “the most satisfying work” to guide and channelize the next generation in the right path. “I am fortunate to help thousands of youth to transform their lives into a productive one,” he added.
Job, former director of the Indian Prime Minister’s Office is currently the youngest Chief Executive Officer of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry.
He was the founder and EditorinChief of ‘Development Channel,’ a news portal focusing on ‘development news’ which uses technologies such as Information Technology, Internet, television, mobile with the support of young volunteers to provide access to information.
The GTPA website hailed Job as a multi-faceted young world leader and an innovative educator par-excellence known for his ‘life skills based education.’ He has mentored more than 25,000 students every year in life skills, leadership training and value education.
Over the years he has transformed about 1 million ordinary youth into responsible citizens, role models and extra-ordinary leaders through his platforms such as ‘Leaders For Tomorrow Foundation, Igniting Young Minds,’ GTPA says.
As a serial entrepreneur who has established more than a dozen organizations, Job is recognized as an ‘Institution builder.’ Each of the charitable institutions he has founded focuses on youth, Information and Communication Technology and education.
Job has proved his diverse leadership positions in government, media, academics, youth and volunteerism, education, Information and Communication Technology, entrepreneurship and private sector industry.
His earlier jobs included deputy editor of New Delhi Television, India’s leading private television channel, and visiting fellow of Melbourne University, Delhi University, London School of Economics. He is the founder of Leaders for Tomorrow foundation and Igniting Young Minds.
He excelled in all these positions before he turned 40 makes, the GTPA website noted.
Job is among the 40 under 40 achievers recognized for making social impact made through policy and leadership initiatives. He was educated in four continents. He is an alumnus of Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, London School of Economics, Melbourne University and Delhi University.
The World Economic Forum honored with the Young Global Leader award for his contribution in bringing about social change and eradicating poverty using ICT, activism and public policy tools. The Melbourne University chose him for the Emerging Leader Fellowship.
He was also chosen as one of Asia’s 21 Young Leaders by the Asia Society.
Born as the 13th child of farmer parents in a remote village in Kerala, Job started working while he was still in school due to financial constraints.
Ever since, he has made it his mission to build institutions meant for education and empowerment using various tools. A young leader with high level of integrity, he is respected for his public service approach and development communication initiatives, the GTPA website says.
Job was invited by former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to advise him on Communication, Public Policy and Global Leadership. He joined him as director of the Prime Minister’s Office in 2009 and continued until the end of Dr. Singh’s tenure in 2014.
Job was instrumental in making many public policy legislations such as ‘Right to Education’- that made education a fundamental right to every child born in India. Throughout his diverse career, he continued to be a teacher and mentor and transformed the lives of more than a million youth.
The Varkey Foundation established the prize to help children dream of becoming the greatest teacher in the world.
The award operates under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.