Educational award

Last changed: 02 May 2023

Who can nominate?

Both students and teachers at SLU have the opportunity to nominate candidates for the prizes.

Who can be nominated?

Individuals or groups of SLU employees who have made an outstanding pedagogical contribution for SLU's students can be nominated. However, neither individuals nor groups can nominate themselves.

How do I nominate?

Nominations are made on the web-based nomination page, which is open for six weeks from the end of January/beginning of February each year. A link to the nomination page is published here during the nomination period.

How should the nomination be written?

The nomination text should clearly describe what the person or team nominated have done and justify why this effort makes the teacher or teaching team a suitable recipient of the award.
All nominations should also have a clear sender.

Examples of some previous award winners and how SLU justified their receiving the award.

The justifications under each award winner are summaries of what emerged in the nomination texts.

The individual award

Lenka Kuglerová, senior lecturer at the Department of Forest Ecology and Management.

Lenka Kuglerová is a very motivated and appreciated teacher with a strong research background. Her teaching is distinguished by a strong personal commitment to student learning, where she emphasizes, among other things, student activity, creativity and the ability to reflect and think critically.
In the courses, theoretical sections are often followed up with practical elements that are carried out in collaboration with forestry actors. In addition to course leadership, development of new courses and knowledge transfer in her specialist areas, Lenka has also contributed greatly to continuous improvement work in teaching by developing the teacher team’s pedagogy and teaching methods.

Linus Rosén, researcher at the Department of Urban and Rural Studies

Linus Rosén gives students the best conditions to learn the course content. This is done by creating a clear course structure, good communication and a predictability that provides control over the learning process. As a course leader and lecturer, Linus is encouraging, responsive and curious. Students experience Linus as an inspiring educator who listens to the group and then varies the teaching in a very creative and pedagogical way.

Anders Dahlberg, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology

Through his engaging and inspiring teaching methods, Anders Dahlberg has managed to inspire genuine interest and motivation in his students and colleagues. He invites conversation while encouraging reflection and critical thinking. Students feel listened to and involved in the teaching, which creates an inclusive and stimulating learning environment where questions and different perspectives are welcome.
When Anders' teaching is connected to current social issues, he highlights facts, the views of different stakeholders and the complexity of decision-making - without taking a position himself. In this way, students can form their own well-founded opinions. Through his commitment, openness and integrity, Anders Dahlberg has been a role model as an educator and an invaluable asset to SLU's education.

The team award

Lecturer team in clinical sciences - animal care (KV-DOV)

The lecturer team in KV-DOV has successfully conducted course development of courses in the animal care program so that the quality of teaching has been maintained or improved despite the number of students having increased from 40 to 115 students over the past 7 years.
The teaching team collaborates very well and all teachers take their own initiatives for course development and pedagogical innovation and take responsibility for the development of the program as a whole. The teaching team is also very active in spreading their pedagogical experiences to other institutions. For example, their pedagogical approach has been presented as an “EDUChat” for SLU teachers and in podcast form, “EDUTalk”, to make it easier for others to be inspired by the pedagogical approach.

The teaching team behind the course “Soil water processes in agroecosystems, MV0216”

The teaching team teaches and implements the course in a way that the students experience as clearly student-centered. The entire teaching team is very committed and they constantly use well-thought-out teaching methods. At the same time, they manage to create a learning environment that is open and inclusive, which is highlighted as very valuable, not least by international students.
The teaching team has a highly appreciated ability to clearly connect theoretical and practical elements. The students also highlight the teachers’ listening and respectful attitude as an important basis for that they as students dare to be curious and engaged, in relation to both course content and teaching methods.

The team behind the Marketing and Organization Theory Teaching Track at the Department of Economics (MOTT)

The team behind MOTT at the Department of Economics has creatively developed its teaching with a focus on pedagogical development and progression. MOTT's teachers have worked based on case and project methodologies and developed the teaching of generic skills, such as critical thinking and the ability to work in groups. The pandemic has also driven their way of designing the education based on the "flipped classroom" and alternative examination methods.

General criteria

Teaching efforts

Cooperating with colleagues and/or students on teaching development. For example:

  • Promoting learning by creating a positive environment that stimulates student participation and interest in the subject.

  • Stimulating students' critical thinking, creativity and independent learning.

  • Integrating different skills into their teaching.

  • Providing context for the course and subject, linking it to current research and international conditions.

  • Adapting teaching and supervision to students' backgrounds and level.

  • Providing students with constructive feedback on their learning in different situations.

  • Refreshing and developing teaching and examination formats.

  • Developing online teaching methods so they provide added value for teaching.

  • Developing teaching methods to integrate gender issues, sustainable development, etc. 

Cooperating with colleagues and/or students to develop teaching

Recognised interest in teaching and commitment to its development at the department, working together with colleagues and students. For example:

  • Establishing dialogues with students on teaching formats and content, then using this knowledge to develop teaching.

  • Initiating cooperation with students, colleagues, other staff and teachers at other departments with focus on first cycle courses and programmes.

  • Refreshing teaching formats and content together with colleagues.

Educational leadership

Clear and valued educational leadership with a recognised interest in and commitment to furthering the development of teaching. For example:

  • Creating a positive environment for discussing educational matters.

  • Initiating and furthering the development of teaching.

  • Initiating educational activities for teachers.

  • Facilitating the professional development of other teachers.

  • Encouraging teachers to take the initiative to develop teaching.

  • Establishing ways of developing dialogue with students.

  • Establishing the well-functioning reception of new students.

  • Establishing a well-functioning introduction for new teachers.

  • Encouraging students and colleagues participate in developing teaching strategies and objectives.

  • Planning and leading educational activities based on gender issues.

  • Evaluating and monitoring the impact of educational measures taken.

  • Identifying and utilising financial resources and staff skills to further educational development.

Sharing good teaching models and outcomes

Recognised interest in and commitment to sharing good examples of educational development in a range of forums beyond their department and SLU. For example:

  • Refreshing teaching materials and communicating this to other teachers or departments.

  • Developing new teaching and/or examination formats and spreading knowledge of these.

  • Developing online forms of teaching/materials and spreading knowledge of these.

  • Authoring high-quality course literature or other study resources.

Preparation

Once the nominations period has closed, the registrar will forward the submissions to an administrative officer at the Educational Development Unit (EPU). They will then prepare each case and suggest prioritised applications and motivations. If required, they may request supplementary information from those who submitted the nomination.

The assessments will be sent to a panel consisting of the deputy vice-chancellor, a representative from each faculty, and two student representatives from SLUSS.

Finally, the deputy vice-chancellor will submit their suggestion to the vice-chancellor, who will take the final decision.

Facts:

Recipients

2024
  • Linus Rosén, forskare vid institutionen för stad och land, Individual Award
  • Monika Johansson, universitetslektor vid institutionen för molekylära vetenskaper, Individual Award
2023
  • Mattias Larsson, Senior Lecturer, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Individual Award
  • Teaching team, School for Forest Management, Team Award
2022
  • Lenka Kuglerová, Senior Lecturer, Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Individual Award
  • Teaching team for clinical science in veterinary nursing, Department of Clinical Sciences, Team Award
2021
  • Jörg Brunet, S Faculty, Individual Award
  • Marketing and Organisation Theory Teaching Track, NJ Faculty, Team Award
2020
  • Joachim Strengbom, NJ Faculty, Individual Award
  • Elisabeth Persson, VH Faculty, Individual Award
  • All SLU teaching staff, Team Award
2019
  • Marie Bengtsson, LTV Faculty, Individual Award
  • Plog Project steering group, S Faculty, Team Award
2018
  • Katja Nilsson, VH Faculty, Individual Award
  • Staffan Stenhag, S Faculty, Individual Award
2017
  • Erica von Essen, NJ Faculty, Individual Award
  • Nils Fall and Susanna Sternberg Lewerin, VH Faculty, Team Award
  • Hans Andersson, Jubileumspris
2016
  • Emanuel Erlandsson, S Faculty, Individual Award
  • Emma Eriksson
2015
  • Vilis Brukas S Faculty
  • Ulla Myhr, as representative for the teaching team behind the degree project course for landscape architecture, NJ Faculty, Team Award
2014
  • Ola Lindroos, S Faculty, Individual Award
  • Teaching team at the Department of Ecology, Team Award
2013
  • Maria Andersson, VH Faculty, Individual Award
  • Maria Kylin, Karin Hammarlund, Jenny Nord and Kenneth Olwig, LTV Faculty, Team award
2012
  • Per-Magnus Ekö, S Faculty, Individual Award
2011
  • Peter Redbo Torstensson, NJ Faculty, Individual Award
2010
  • Birgitta Andrén, VH Faculty, Individual Award
2009
  • Daniel Lunneryd, (former) NL Faculty, Individual Award
  • Landscape architecture degree programme in Alnarp, LTJ, Team Award
2008
  • Yvonne Ridderstråle VH Faculty, Individual Award
  • Anders Alanära and Anders Karlsson, S Faculty, Team award
2007
  • Birgitta Malmfors, (former) NL Faculty, Individual Award
  • AgVet group, VH Faculty, Team Award
2006
  • Fredrik Söderbom, (former) NL Faculty, Individual Award
  • Sydsvenskt Skogsbruk, S Faculty, Team Award
2005
  • Jan Svedberg, VH Faculty, Individual Award
2004
  • Ulf Olsson, (former) NL Faculty, Individual Award
2003
  • Cecilia Mark-Herbert, (former) NL Faculty, Individual Award
2002
  • Gunnar Malmfors, VH Faculty, Individual Award
  • Anne Algers, VH Faculty, Individual Award
2001
  • Mårten Carlsson, Individual Award
2000
  • Ylva Dahlman, (former) NL Faculty, Individual Award