Teacher of the Year Award

Which teacher did an outstanding job in not only transferring knowledge in novel ways but also in getting students enthusiastic and connecting a course to current research themes? Meet the nominees for the Teacher of the Year Award 2024!

Joost Willemse

Leiden Institute of Biology

‘A good teacher always has multiple ways to explain the same thing.’

Read the full interview with Joost Willemse

Rob van Wijk

Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research

‘A few nevers before lectures show that my work matters’

Read the full interview with Rob van Wijk

Sander van Kasteren

Leiden Institute of Chemistry

‘Science isn’t about memorising a textbook’

Read the full interview with Sander van Kasteren

The other nominees

Alessandra Silvestri

Leiden Observatory

‘Alessandra’s enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to her students and courses have greatly inspired and supported student in pursuing their studies.’ - Programme committee MSc Physics

Federica Pasquotto

Mathematical Institute

‘Federica manages to convey every aspect of her highly abstract subjects in a way that is not overwhelming, but rather provides clear insight. She is also indispensable in her role as first-year coach, students can turn to her for anything.’ - Programme committee BCs Mathematics

Grégory Schneider

Leiden Institute of Chemistry

‘Grégory’s lectures are always aligned with the latest developments, he continuously improves his course based on student feedback, and inspires enthusiasm even in the face of the course’s immense complexity.’ - Programme committee LST and MSc Chemistry

Hauke Ward

Institute of Environmental Sciences Leiden

‘Hauke is known for his kindness and approachability, always willing to clarify doubts and engage with students, often continuing discussions or recommending readings to students in the breaks.’ - Programme committee Governance of Sustainability

Jan van Ruitenbeek

Leiden Institute of Physics

‘Jan showcases the humanity in our field, the faces behind physics that brought us to where we are today. Most importantly, he inspires you to some day be one of those faces.’ - programme committee BSc Physics

Joost Broekens

Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

‘Joost teaches in a way that’s not only innovative and engaging but also evolves with research. He’s great at linking his work to other fields, painting the bigger picture of what we’re learning in his class. - programme committee BSc Computer Science and BSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Julian Karch

Physicology

‘Julian combines his calm demeanor with an engaging teaching style, and his expertise in psychology. He inspires students from diverse backgrounds to understand complex topics such as machine learning.’ - programme committee MSc Statistics and Data Science

Matthew Kenworthy

Leiden Observatory

‘Matthew’s course is so well-taught that word-of-mouth promotion among students has caused the number of enrolments to more than double since he began teaching it.’ - Programme committee MSc Astronomy

Ranran Wang

Institute of Environmental Sciences Leiden

‘Ranran values every question and creates a relaxed and protected environment where everyone can succeed independently of their prior knowledge or experience.’- Programme committee Industrial Ecology

Sjoert van Velzen

Leiden Observatory

‘Sjoert shows that statistical courses don’t have to be difficult or boring,using his enthusiastic and unique teaching style to make the material more accessible and engaging.’- Programme committee BSc Astronomy

Stefan van der Vorm

Leiden Institute of Chemistry

‘Stefan explains difficult material in an excellent way, using quizzes that student must complete before the lectures, helping them to better absorb the material during class.’ - Programme committee Molecular Science and Technology

Suzan Verberne

Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

‘Suzan tries to listen to everyone in her classes. She understands that the best way for students to understand the teacher, is for the teacher to understand the students.’ - Programme committee Computer Science and Media Technology

Werner Heijstek

Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

‘Werner elevated a course that was typically experienced as less enjoyable to a much higher level.’ - Programme committee ICT in Business