Four prizes

There are four prizes, based on themes from the UvA Institutional Plan, the UvA Educational Vision and the theme of the UvA Education Day 2024:

• Activating Teaching (for individual teacher)
• Inclusive Teaching (for individual lecturer)
• Collaborative Teaching (for subject, educational project or team)
• Innovative Teaching (for subject, educational project or team)

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 teacher or as a team. The participating candidates are then assessed by a jury.

Jury 

There are two juries, a jury for the individual teacher awards and a jury for the team awards. The juries is still to be composed and will consist of committed UvA employees with expertise related to the themes. To whom the Education Awards will be presented to will be determined on the basis of: 

• Commentary of nominations (all nomination have commentary required); 
• 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). 

** More detailed criteria can be found in the FAQ. 

Award ceremony

The UvA Education Awards will be presented during the UvA Education Day 2024 on 22 October 2024.

The nomination period is from 6 - 14 June 2024 (period extended with two weeks after campus demonstrations). During this period, all UvA students and employees can nominate an individual teacher, subject, educational project or team for the UvA Education Awards 2024. 

The four themes of the UvA Education Awards 2024 align with the UvA's Strategic Plan, the UvA's Vision on Teaching and Learning, and the theme of the UvA Education Day 2024: 

Student Activating Teaching
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). 

Inclusive Teaching
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). 

Collaborative Education
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). 

Innovating Education
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. 

All students and employees of the UvA can nominate. It is possible to nominate an individual teacher as well as a course, educational project or -team.

The jurys request the candidates to provide a written response to the nomination which includes an explanation of their teaching initiatives and a justification of the choices made therein (vision on teaching and learning). Additionally, the jury uses the following questions as criteria: 

General criteria

• Does the teacher provide a clear insight into the choices made? 
• Does the teacher demonstrate a convincing vision of education regarding the category? 

Criteria for the theme Student Activating Teaching

• To what extent does the teacher effectively use activating teaching methods?
• How actively does the teacher involve students in the education process? 

Criteria for the theme Inclusive Teaching

• How accessible is the teacher's education for students with different backgrounds and talents? 
• To what extent does the teacher promote equal opportunities in their own education?

Criteria for the theme Collaborative Teaching

• To what extent does collaboration occur beyond the teacher's own subject (with other disciplines or societal parties)? 
• How much does this collaboration contribute mutually to the accumulation of knowledge and/or solving complex issues? 

Criteria for the theme Innovative Teaching

• How innovative is the education provided? 
• How much does this innovation contribute to a powerful learning environment?

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.

TLC Central (UvA Teaching & Learning Centres) is organising the UvA Education Awards 2024, on behalf of Academic Affairs.

Individual awards chair

Erjo Beitler
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 teachers 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. 

Theme: Student Activating Teaching

Monique Volman
Monique Volman is a professor of educational sciences and the department chair of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences (POW) at the University of Amsterdam. Her research primarily focuses on learning environments for meaningful learning, diversity, and the use of technology in education, approached from a socio-cultural theoretical perspective. Through collaborative design research, she aims to bridge the gap between educational theory and practice, where teachers and researchers work together to develop and evaluate theoretically informed innovations. As a jury member, Monique emphasizes innovations that connect theory with practical teaching applications.  

Imber van Dijk 
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.  

Theme: Inclusive Teaching

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. 

Machiel Keestra
Dr. Machiel Keestra has been appointed as the Central Diversity Officer at the University of Amsterdam since 2022. A philosopher affiliated with the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies since 2005, he teaches various interdisciplinary programs such as the Bet-Gamma bachelor and the Brain and Cognitive Sciences master’s program. His research focuses on philosophy of science, interdisciplinarity, diversity, and inclusion.  As a jury member, Machiel looks for educational practices that integrate diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches. 

Team awards chair

Svenne Groeneweg
Svenne Groeneweg is a policy advisor at the Central Teaching and Learning Central and a doctoral researcher at the Research Institute Child Development and Education (RICDE) at the University of Amsterdam. She primarily focuses on the professional development of teachers and on monitoring the impact of TLC programs in an evidence-informed manner, aiming to further improve them. As the chair of the juries for team awards, Svenne evaluates how interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships with social organizations address complex issues. She seeks inspiring examples of educational innovation that enhance the quality of education. 

Theme: Collaborative Education

Rosanne van Wieringen
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.  

Janneke Waelen
Janneke Waelen is the director of the Centre for Teaching & Learning at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. With a background as an educational scientist, teacher, and educational leader, she is fully dedicated to educational innovation and the development of teachers. She believes that education emerges through the interaction between people, with collaborative learning and creation at its core. As a jury member, she will focus on how collaboration and interaction are facilitated in education, and how teachers provide guidance to support this process.

Theme: Innovating Education

Jolanda Broex
Jolanda Broex is an educational advisor at the Teaching and Learning Centre at the Faculty of Humanities and a trainer in the Visible Learning Trajectories Programme (ZLP). She contributes to developing and strengthening curricula within various programs. Jolanda emphasizes constructive alignment in courses, ensuring interaction between students, teachers, materials, and peers. As a jury member, she focuses on how curricula are designed to foster meaningful interactions.  

Lydia van der Meij
Lydia van der Meij is a staff advisor for Faculty Development at the Faculty of Medicine, responsible for developing teaching qualities. She views educational innovation broadly, focusing on improvements that align with societal developments to prepare students for their future roles. Innovations can be technological but are not limited to this. Lydia seeks creative, development-oriented educational improvements that enhance student earning outcomes.

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.