Winners UU Teacher Awards 2026: Marijke de Belder and Jeroen Ooge

Marijke, first of all, congratulations on being awarded the 2026 Outstanding Teacher Award of Utrecht University. 

The jury was very impressed with your all-round profile as a teacher, and your passion for students, teaching and learning.

With more than ten years of experience in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Cyprus, you bring a broad and well-rounded perspective as a teacher. You have a clear educational vision: you see the struggles that students face and allow them to follow different paths within your courses. You ensure differentiation in the classroom with your color system: blue, yellow and red. Students are allowed to indicate how they want to participate in your  course and to work on their own personal goals . This allows like-minded students to work together within your courses, which the jury greatly appreciates. We also see this reflected in your students: they describe your lectures as a pleasure: very accessible, humorous, and strong in content. In addition, your students have repeatedly mentioned that they appreciate your emancipatoryperspective. You are committed to women's empowerment by consciously choosing your literature. You are very respectful in your interactions with students and you give them room to make mistakes, to actually learn. 

You are involved in teaching in three different faculties, and your CV reflects a strong interest in interdisciplinary teaching, for instance in the minor Language, Law and Culture, where you use fictive settings that create room for discussion and that enable students to speak freely. The jury also greatly appreciated your high visibility outside the program. You are committed to continuing education in secondary education and your track record reflects a strong interest in educational research, such as  research on the teacher shortage. You are good at establishing connections with the professional field and making this tangible for your students. In addition, you are also a teacher trainer, at the Graduate School of Teaching. 

All in all, the jury considers you to be an incredibly dedicated and passionate teacher and was therefore honored to select you as Utrecht University's Outstanding Teacher 2026. Congratulations!

Jeroen, first of all, congratulations on being awarded the 2025 Outstanding Teacher Talent Award of Utrecht University. 

As I mentioned earlier, you have only been working at UU for a short time, but you have already made a big impact and implemented important changes within your program. The jury was impressed by how you continuously strive to improve your teaching. You are innovative within your programme and really make a difference to students. They call it a ‘culture shock’. You have introduced new methods, such as qualitative methods and visialisation and dare to implement it. It is great to see that this is now actually being applied in the program. The jury also greatly appreciated your passion for research. Together with your students, you have published many master's theses and provide your students with excellent guidance in this area. You also have a strong profile in educational research, for instance on blended learning and on educational AI systems. 

Your students gave the jury a very strong pitch. They are extremely enthusiastic about you and praised your way of asking questions: when you ask Jeroen a question, you get one back. Your engagement outside the the formal educational setting is highly valued, for example at the pub lecture. Students who did not know you before were full of praise for you and thought your nomination was well deserved. Students mentioned that  ‘your enthusiasm is infectious, and your willingness to create a better sense of understanding between teachers and students truly helps in creating a great atmosphere for students to follow their curiosity.’

 The jury considers you to be an incredibly dedicated and unique teacher, with a great deal of self-reflection, and was therefore honored to select you as Utrecht University's Outstanding Teacher Talent 2026. Congratulations!

Karin, what sets you apart is your ability to combine knowledge, enthusiasm, and a people-centred approach. You know how to transform the course material into interactive and accessible classes, in which students not only learn, but also feel heard and involved. As chair of the program committee, you also actively monitor the quality of education and ensure that the students' voices are heard. You create a learning environment in which everyone feels comfortable contributing, making mistakes, and growing. Your passion for students’ professional and personal development is also reflected in your contribution to the development of a specific learning trajectory. 

João, your approachable attitude and genuine interest make students feel immediately at ease and encourage them to ask questions. You truly listen to students and translate their feedback into concrete improvements in education, such as the use of short clips in courses and the development of Big History, an interdisciplinary course. Students highly value your supervision in field courses. Your authenticity, passion, and dedication make you a teacher who leaves a lasting impression and, for many, is the epitome of inspiring university education.

Mette, your students always come first. You know how to convey complex subjects clearly and enthusiastically, and create an open atmosphere in which asking questions, expressing doubts, and learning are self-evident. Outside the classroom, you show the same dedication: as a supervisor, coordinator, and committed teacher at the UHSK study association, you contribute to a close-knit academic community. Your warmth, creativity, and interest make you a teacher who makes a difference.

Kim, what makes you unique is that you are a teacher who places enormous emphasis on the link between theory and practice. With your experience as a primary school teacher, you give students real-life examples and that makes you the perfect teacher for Educational Sciences and the ALPO. You focus on the independence and development of the students that you supervise in various subjects. You truly have a heart for education, and students feel safe and seen in your classes.