Humaid Al-Houti, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, emphasised that the participation at the ISSA Conference 2026 in Portugal reflects the prominent standing of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning while providing a platform to exchange expertise with specialists from around the world. The event, organised by the International Step by Step Association in Lisbon on October 22 and 23 with pre-conference activities the day before, formed part of the award’s efforts to strengthen its international presence and raise awareness of its mission. Al-Houti highlighted how the award, operating under the umbrella of the Khalifa Award for Education as one of the institutions of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, seeks to promote innovation that creates positive impacts on children and communities globally.
The exhibition stand functioned as a global platform to introduce the award’s objectives and draw attention to its two main categories, Al-Houti said in a statement. “We are proud of this significant international participation. The Award’s exhibition stand serves as a global platform to introduce its mission and objectives and highlight its two main categories: Best Research and Studies, and Best Programs, Curricula, Teaching Methodologies and Practices.” This strengthens the award’s international presence and encourages researchers and specialised institutions to participate in its upcoming cycles, he added.
Discussions at the conference focused on solutions to challenges in early childhood care, with emphasis on integrating systems across education, health and social protection sectors to support families and ensure safe environments for child development. The award’s delegation held strategic meetings with leaders of participating institutions and experts to exchange experiences and back innovative research and initiatives in the field. Such engagements align with the award’s role in recognising distinguished efforts that inform best practices and policies for early childhood education across diverse contexts.
The International Step by Step Association, which organised the gathering, stands as one of the foremost global professional networks dedicated to early childhood development. Founded in 1999 with headquarters in the Netherlands, ISSA brings together 93 member organisations from 39 countries, most of them in Europe and Central Asia, according to association figures. This network provided an ideal setting for the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning to showcase its contributions and explore collaborative opportunities.
The Portugal event adds to the award’s series of international activities, which have featured showcases of winning projects from previous cycles at conferences in the United States and the United Kingdom. Recent winners have included research on scaling early childhood development through public infrastructure and programmes like play-based learning models that have reached tens of thousands of teachers and children in various regions. These examples illustrate the award’s focus on identifying innovative solutions that enhance evidence for policy and practice in early learning worldwide.