UvA Education Awards
For good education
The nomination period for the UvA Education Awards 2025 closed on May 30, 2025, at 23:59.
Four prizes
There are four categories with each an UvA Education Award. The categories are inspired by the themes from UvA's Institution Plan and Vision on Teaching & Learning.
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Student Activating Teaching
Award for a lecturer | The UvA considers it important to offer activating education with a high level of student engagement (Strategic Plan, p.5). Therefore, all faculties focus on activating teaching methods (Vision on Teaching and Learning, p.6), and the UvA aims to continue providing space for rich, small-scale learning environments to offer students high-quality education (Vision on Teaching and Learning, p.6).
This lecturer is amazing and engages me like no other during lectures. The contrast they create makes it hard for me to enjoy other lectures as much. Thanks to them, I know why I chose this study.
Submitted nominationThis lecturer could tell stories in a very engaging way. Normally, after 15 minutes of listening, I get distracted by something else. But with them, I could genuinely stay focused for 1.5 hours straight. They also shared very interesting or funny anecdotes/examples that fit the material well.
Submitted nomination -
Inclusive Teaching
Award for a lecturer | Based on the Strategic Agenda for Higher Education and Research of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science, the UvA focuses on ensuring that education aligns well with the diversity in backgrounds and talents of its students (Vision on Teaching and Learning, p.6). Broad accessibility and equal opportunities in education are crucial in this regard (Strategic Plan, p.5). Active efforts are required to promote diversity, inclusivity, and equality to attract, retain, and educate talents (Strategic Plan, p.4).
This lecturer teaches in a fun and educational way. They keep students motivated and ensure that everyone can follow along. Additionally, you can tell that they are genuinely interested in your personal learning process. They make you feel seen, heard, and understood.
Submitted nominationThis lecturer creates an open and respectful classroom environment where everyone feels comfortable. They build personal relationships with students and offer support, especially for first-year students adjusting to life in Amsterdam. They do everything they can to ensure the well-being of their students.
Submitted nomination -
Collaborative Teaching
Award for course, education project or -team | The UvA aims for educational formats where students learn collaboratively with stakeholders in society to create knowledge, analyze issues, and solve problems (Vision on Teaching and Learning, p.12). This involves seeking collaboration with various societal organizations, businesses, and knowledge institutions (Strategic Plan, p.5). Additionally, promoting collaboration among disciplines within the UvA is encouraged. This contributes to innovation within individual fields and helps better address future challenges (Strategic Plan, p.5).
Students take ownership of their learning process and share responsibility in group projects. The structured schedule – with 5:00 PM deadlines, recovery weeks, and breaks – provides room for reflection and time to relax.
Submitted nominationStudents have the opportunity to collaborate with external partners and work in groups. The program is fully designed for this, and this course is a great example of that.
Submitted nomination -
Innovating Teaching
Award for course, education project or -team | The UvA considers it essential to continue experimenting and innovating in education to provide students with powerful and rich learning environments (Vision on Teaching and Learning, p.7). This can be achieved, for example, through blended learning, by adapting to recent developments (such as the use of AI), or by utilizing non-traditional educational spaces.
This lecturer gives interactive lessons and motivates students to actively participate. They experiment with innovative assessment methods, such as a negotiation simulation, and organized an educational study trip to Brussels.
Submitted nomination
Nomination period
The nomination period is from 5 until 30 May 2025. During this period, all UvA students and employees can nominate an individual lecturer, subject, educational project or team for the UvA Education Awards 2025.
Pre-selection
After the nomination period, a pre-selection of nominees will take place based on the highest number of nominations. The pre-selection will be approached with the question whether they would like to be a candidate for the UvA Education Awards as an individual lecturer or as a team. The participating candidates are then assessed by a jury.
Jury
There are two juries, a jury for the individual lecturer awards and a jury for the team awards. The juries consist of engaged UvA staff members with expertise related to the categories, as well as students from the Central Student Council and the Student Assessor (see jury composition). To whom the Education Awards will be presented to will be determined on the basis of:
- Commentary of nominations (all nomination have commentary required);
- A letter from participating candidates including reaction to the commentary of nominations, explanatory notes about their education(project) and the choices made (enhancing their vision on teaching & learning), according to the relevant criteria
- A good practice shared by the candidate from their teaching..
The jury evaluates the submissions based on defined general criteria and additional category-specific criteria.
Award ceremony
The UvA Education Awards will be presented during the UvA Education Day 2025 on 28 October 2025.
Organisation
The UvA Education Awards 2025 are organized by a project group consisting of four colleagues from TLC-Central, the UvA student assessor, and students from the Central Student Council (CSR).
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What is the planning?
Important dates
5 until 30 May 2025
Nomination periodJune - September 2025
Jury process28 October 2025
Awards ceremony during UvA Education Day -
Who are the jury members?
Jury 2025 - Individual Prizes
Erjo Beitler (Chair)
Erjo Beitler is a didactic advisor and trainer at the Central Teaching and Learning Centre. He facilitates parts of the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) trajectory for lecturer across different faculties, focusing on active and inclusive education. Erjo is involved in various programs such as “Deep Democracy in the classroom” and the TLC card set with activating teaching methods. As the chair of the jury, he supports the expert duos in their decisions for the educational awards.Brit Griesbertz
Brit Griesbertz is a trainer at the Teaching and Learning Centre of the Science Faculty (FNWI). She conducts training on inclusive education, including in the UTQ at the Science Faculty and the UTQ+ trajectory “Step into your Student’s Shoes”, and she also offers “Hot Moments” workshops. Brit is also part of the SIG International Classroom and the Diversity Sounding Board at FNWI. She believes that inclusive learning is an ongoing process and emphasizes the importance of feedback loops. As a jury member, Brit focuses on how inclusivity and diversity goals are assessed and reflected in the learning experience.Jacobijn Olthoff
Jacobijn Olthoff is the Director of the Interfaculty Teacher Training Programmes at the University of Amsterdam. These programmes prepare university students for careers as secondary school teachers. Olthoff’s knowledge and experience with powerful examples of engaging and inclusive education span both secondary and higher education. By training, Olthoff is an anthropologist with extensive research experience in Latin America; she spent several years working with teenage girls in the impoverished neighborhoods of Lima, Peru. “In my view,” Olthoff says, “engaging education is a prerequisite for truly inclusive education, because what students and pupils learn sticks better when they are all actively involved in the learning process — each from their own strengths and in their own way.”
Rien de Vos
Rien de Vos is Professor of Education and Teacher Training at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). His research focuses specifically on improving interprofessional collaboration. In addition, he is actively involved in the governance of professional development for teachers; he serves as the chair of the Educational Leadership (POL) program committee at the UvA and is the incoming chair of the UvA Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) board. De Vos is affiliated with Amsterdam UMC, the Faculty of Medicine at the UvA.
Willem Volker (CSR)
- Bio to follow -
Jury 2025 - Team Prizes
Imber van Dijk (Chair)
Imber van Dijk is an educational advisor for Blended Learning and trainer at the Teaching & Learning Centre at the Faculty of Law. He implements active learning as a key part of the faculty’s educational innovation and co-authored the TLC card set with activating teaching methods. As a jury member, Imber evaluates how active learning strategies are effectively integrated into teaching practices.Rosanne van Wieringen (IIS)
Rosanne van Wieringen has designed and taught various transdisciplinary educational initiatives such as Placemaking and Change Making at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies and the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences program over the past five years. These initiatives focus on social connection, teaching students to collaborate within teams and with external stakeholders. As a jury member, Rosanne pays attention to the support and reflection mechanisms in place to facilitate collaboration.Charlotte Meijer
Charlotte Meijer is an educational specialist at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. Here she works with a team of student colleagues on educational innovations with the goal of enabling the best possible education for VU Amsterdam students. Charlotte mainly focuses on active blended learning, practical teaching tips and students as partners.
Mark van der Veen
Mark van der Veen is Director of the Graduate School of Business at the Faculty of Economics and Business and also serves as Vice Chair of the University Teaching Committee at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Previously, Mark was, among other roles, Chair of the Strategy & International Business section and Director of the Scientific Institute for Environmental Management. He teaches courses such as Purpose-Driven Strategy and Business Ethics & Sustainability, and organizes inspiring guest lectures at venues like DeLaMar and Carré. The educational programs under Mark’s leadership place strong emphasis on internationalization, sustainability, ethics, innovation, and the integration of real-world assignments.
Angelina Senchi (Student Assessor)
Angelina Senchi has been the central student assessor at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) since September 2024. In this role, she serves as a bridge within the UvA community, advocating for inclusive and future-oriented education. She is also a Master's student in Book Studies and has been active within the Faculty of Humanities as both secretary and chair of the student council, as well as an employee at the Allard Pierson. Angelina plays an active, advisory role to the Executive Board, student representation bodies, and other students, policymakers, and initiatives that reach out to her. With her sharp insight and connecting approach, she brings attention to impact, creativity, and student engagement in improving education.
Ingmar Visser
- Bio to follow -
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What does Education Ambassadorship entail?
UvA Education Award recipients are asked to share their teaching expertise, way of working and/or interpretation of the teaching role as an example within and outside the UvA. Therefore, the recipient is referred to as a 'Education Ambassador'. The UvA Teaching & Learning Centers (TLC) support the education ambassadors in sharing their expertise by providing platform for knowledge sharing.
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Who were the previous winners?
Recipients of the UvA Teaching Awards 2024:
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Student Activating Teaching: Dr. F. (Farid) Boussaid (finalist 'Lecturer of the Year 2025')
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Inclusive Teaching: Dr. G. (Giorgia) Romagnoli
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Collaborative Teaching: Computational Social Science (teaching team)
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Innovative Teaching: Science, Technology & Innovation: Biomimicry (minor)
Previous years, the UvA Lecturer of the Year were: Jan Aten (2022), David Bos (2021), René Smits (2020), Elio Baldi (2019), Frank Nack (2018), Antoinette Muntjewerff (2016-2017), Bas de Bruin (2015), Joris Marée (2014), Mieke Mulder (2013), Jan van Maarseveen (2012), Gerben Moerman (2011), Sander Bais (2010), Peter Starreveld (2009), Mathieu de Bakker (2008) and Maria Bonaria Urban (2007).
Until 2022, the UvA Lecturer of the Year award was organised. The format of this award was then discussed. This led to an evaluation (conducted by TLC-Central) resulting in a new format: UvA Education Awards 2024.
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