The award recognizes his pioneering research on the ways public policies and programs, particularly in early childhood and immigration, shape human development.
Left to right: Fabio Segura, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Lavinia Jacobs, and Simon Sommer.
Courtney Sale Ross University Professor of Globalization and Education at NYU Steinhardt Hirokazu Yoshikawa has been awarded the 2025 Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize for his pioneering research on how public policies and programs, particularly those related to early childhood and immigration, shape human development. His research has contributed globally to improving caregiving, environments, and outcomes for children and families. The prize, endowed with one million Swiss Francs (approximately $1.2 million) to support a recipient’s research, was presented in Zurich on November 14, 2025.
“Given that I mainly do partnership-based work, and identify as strongly as a community psychologist as a developmental scientist, I was surprised and thrilled that I was chosen as this year's recipient of the award,” says Yoshikawa. “I look forward to continuing partnership work in support of children in humanitarian contexts with the support of this award.”
Yoshikawa is the co-founder of Global TIES for Children, an NYU-based research center that uses data to inform programs and policies for children’s learning and development. Through the center, Yoshikawa has led numerous research projects for children affected by poverty, conflict, and displacement, so that they can receive quality learning opportunities. Notable projects include an evaluation of Ahlan Simsim, an Arabic version of Sesame Street developed for the Middle East, that improved Jordanian children’s emotional development.
Nora S. Newcombe, the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology at Temple University and chairperson of the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize Jury, remarked, “Yoshikawa’s work exemplifies the power of research to drive lasting change. His career has continuously combined innovative research with forging transformative bridges between science and policy, from pioneering early childhood systems across the Global South to reshaping immigration discourse in the United States. His commitment to long-term, reciprocal partnerships ensures that evidence is both generated and effectively used to shape the futures of children worldwide.”
Trained as a pianist and clinical psychologist, Yoshikawa’s career has spanned disciplines and geographies. What began as a focus on early education and immigrant families in the United States has expanded to global collaborations across Latin America, South Asia, and the Middle East. He has served on advisory panels for the US Department of Education, World Bank, UNICEF, and others, and is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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