33 teachers put in the spotlight by their students

Good lecturers deserve recognition. That is why Utrecht University has been awarding two special prizes since 1994: Teacher of the Year and Teacher Talent of the Year. This year, study associations nominated no fewer than 33 lecturers, 17 for Teacher of the Year and 16 for Teacher Talent of the Year.

Last year, Lennart de Groot and Alissa Kotowski shone

Lennart de Groot, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, was named Teacher of the Year 2024. He impressed with his innovative teaching approach and genuine commitment to his students. Alissa Kotowski, Professor of Earth Sciences, took home the Teacher Talent of the Year 2024 award. She won hearts with her enthusiastic, inspiring lectures and personal guidance. Both demonstrated what truly good teaching means and were rewarded for it by their own students.

What makes these awards so special?

It is the students themselves who nominate their inspiring lecturers. Through their study association, they write a motivated recommendation explaining why this particular lecturer makes a difference. The lecturer supplements this with an educational vision and CV, and two colleagues write a letter of recommendation.

The jury will assess all nominations in the coming weeks. The shortlists will be announced in mid-January! Curious about who is on the jury and what they will be assessing? Read more here.