Tech Awards

San Jose will play host to the annual Tech Awards gala this Wednesday to honor 25 laureates who have benefited humanity through their work in education, equality, health, environment, and economic development. Among the nominations from 68 countries were environment award winner Laos-based Sunlabob Renewable Energy, which rents solar charging stations to entrepreneurs who then rent out solar lamps to local villagers. The Lucknow, India-based Digital StudyHall community-generated video project has earned one of the education awards for creating a database of classroom instruction that can be accessed by teachers in rural areas and urban slums.

The Tech Museum of Innovation created the awards to recognize new approaches to the most critical issues facing humanity and the planet and will award a $50,000 cash prize to one laureate in each category this week. Professor Muhammad Yunus will receive this year's Global Humanitarian Award for his work in pioneering and promoting microcredit finance.