Genomineerden Universitaire Onderwijsprijzen 2024

Presentation of University Education Awards 2024

01 April 2025 Educational news item

The winners of the University Education Awards 2024 have been announced. At the award ceremony on Tuesday afternoon 1 April, the senior prize went to Angela Wigger, Associate Professor of International Relations at the Nijmegen School of Management. The talent award went to two winners this time: Olivia Guest, Assistant Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Donders Institute, and Jelle Hilbers, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at the Faculty of Science. The three winners received their awards at the Radboudumc Experience Centre, with each award consisting of a certificate and a cash prize of €3,000.

This annual election forms part of the Education Days, which take place this year on 1 and 2 April. Students, colleagues, and faculty boards could nominate lecturers or lecturer teams. These had to be lecturers (or lecturer teams) who had delivered a personal, excellent teaching performance within Radboud University in the past year that helped improve the visibility and quality of our education. The Executive Board awarded the prizes based on the advice of an appointed jury, chaired by Jan Bransen (academic leader of the Radboud Teaching and Learning Centre). There were respectively five and six nominees for the senior and talent awards.

The winners of the senior and talent awards are required to use two-thirds of their €3,000 prize money to improve education; one-third can be spent as they see fit. The University Education Awards have been presented annually since 1996.

Reasons put forward by the jury

Angela Wigger

Regarding senior prize winner Angela Wigger, the jury praised her ability to connect theoretical knowledge with social relevance and personal guidance. The jury report states, among other things: 'Angela encourages students to step outside their comfort zone and supports them with concrete actions, such as using her own network to connect them with mentors and career opportunities. Angela embodies the pillars of our educational vision through her ability to inspire students and prepare them for their future with a broad view of the world'.

The other nominees for the senior award were: Bart Mennink (Associate Professor of Digital Security at the Faculty of Science), the lecturer team of the Faculty of Social Sciences (Ilianne Boumans and Linda Kwakkenbos), Jos Draaisma (lecturer in the Paediatrician Training Programme at the Faculty of Medical Sciences), Lieke van Maastricht (Assistant Professor of Spanish Language and Culture at the Faculty of Arts), and Paul van der Velde (Professor of Comparative Religious Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies).

Olivia Guest ontvangt Universitaire Onderwijsprijs voor junior docent van het jaar

Olivia Guest en Jelle Hilbers

For the talent award this year, the jury opted for an ex aequo award ('draw') to celebrate the diversity and core educational values of Radboud University. Regarding Olivia Guest, the jury praised her focus on innovation and community involvement, with which she embodies an inclusive and forward-looking vision. According to the jury, she contributes to a culture change that is deeply rooted in the pillars of our educational vision: personal and sustainable.

Jelle Hilbers ontvangt Universitaire Onderwijsprijs voor junior docent van het jaar

Regarding Jelle Hilbers, the jury praised his academic excellence and the depth of content, and the way he guides and inspires students from his in-depth professional knowledge and innovative didactics. Moreover, his work is aligned with the ‘sustainable’ pillar through the deployment of innovative teaching methods such as escaperooms that stimulate learning and have a lasting impact on educational programmes.

The other nominees for the talent award were: Arjan Sterken (PhD lecturer of Comparative Religious Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies), Elco Nab (Assistant Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology at the Faculty of Law), and Emily Shuman (Assistant Professor of French Language and Culture at the Faculty of Arts).

About the jury

This year's jury consisted of:

Jan Bransen (academic leader of the Radboud Teaching and Learning Centre) - chair,
Henning Meredig (Faculty of Arts) - lecturer,
Peter Klaren (Faculty of Science) - lecturer,
Joost Hoenderop (Faculty of Medical Sciences) - lecturer,
Harmen Ghijsen (Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies) - lecturer,
Annemarie van Stee (Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies) - lecturer,
Casper Kirkels (Radboud Honours Academy) - lecturer,
Sebastiaan Ram (Faculty of Science) - student,
Isabelle Scholte (Nijmegen School of Management) - student,
Oscar Vos (Nijmegen School of Management Sciences) - student.

The jury weighed several elements in their verdict, including the extent to which the lecturer or lecturer team contributed to innovation or improvement of education through their teaching performance.

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Contact information

Organizational unit: Faculty of Science, Nijmegen School of Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Biosciences
About person: Dr J.P. Hilbers (Jelle) , Dr O. Guest (Olivia) , Dr A. Wigger (Angela)