Best Teacher in Ukraine 2025 Announced
The winner of the prestigious Global Teacher Prize Ukraine 2025 has been announced in Ukraine. Ruslan Shalamov, a biology and ecology teacher from Kharkiv, took the top honor.
Ruslan once dreamed of becoming a biochemist, but a chance encounter with a teacher in 1994 led him to discover his true calling. Since then, he has nurtured Olympians and world-class scientists, co-authored educational standards, authored textbooks, and has been a mentor to many educators.
According to the NGO "Osvitoria", Ruslan is actively involved in the implementation of the New Ukrainian School reform and is shaping the new educational standards. He has also created innovative biology programs and authored over 50 books, including 10 textbooks with the Ministry of Education’s approval.
While working in school, Ruslan defended his PhD in biochemistry. Many of his students are now studying at leading universities worldwide. He has conducted hundreds of teacher training sessions, promoting a child-centered approach and competency-based teaching methods.
The teacher received one million hryvnias to realize his educational dream.
The Global Teacher Prize Ukraine is an annual award that highlights the significance of teachers in Ukraine and their impact on society. This award is part of the worldwide prize of the same name.
This year saw a record number of nominations – 2300, the highest in the award's history.
More than 250 volunteers from various cities in Ukraine evaluated the applications. Initially, the top 50 nominees were identified, and then 14 experts from NGOs, the public sector, and previous winners joined the evaluation process.
In-depth interviews with the candidates were conducted, resulting in the selection of the top 10 teachers for 2025. During a two-day assessment center, a competent jury secretly voted to determine the winner.
