Arjan Louwen wins LUS Teaching Prize: 'He stands out for his passion and dedication'
During the ceremony of the Opening of the Academic Year, University Lecturer Arjan Louwen has won Leiden University's prestigious LUS Teaching Award. The prize, awarded annually by the Leiden University Student Platform (LUS), honours lecturers who excel in their teaching. For Louwen, the nomination already felt like a crowning achievement in itself. 'It is the greatest appreciation you can get as a lecturer.'
Passion and dedication
Arjan Louwen is a lecturer who stands out for his passion and dedication. His lectures are charged with energy and commitment, and his students always feel seen and heard. One of his students said at the LUS symposium: ‘He is incredibly understanding, and is by far the best lecturer we have.’ He not only conveys the lesson material with passion, but with seemingly little effort is also able to weave his own practice into the lectures. He is warmly praised by his students: 'Arjan isn’t just a skilled teacher, he is also an inspiration.'
From field to lecture hall
Louwen is known for his energetic, personal and hands-on teaching style. His lectures are not monologues, but experiences that invite students into the world of archaeology. 'I see teaching as the core of what we do here,' he explains. 'Research and education go hand in hand, but we are also here to let young people partake in the enthusiasm for the profession.'
For Louwen, making the work in the field tangible in the lecture hall is essential. 'I always take my camera to excavations. Then I show photos and videos of my own projects in lectures, with personal stories and anecdotes attached. That way, something that sounds abstract suddenly becomes concrete and tangible. Students can see through something quickly. It has to be real. That is why I am always just myself. What you see is what you get. 100% Arjan, with genuine enthusiasm'.
Involving students
Louwen stresses the importance of active engagement rather than passive listening. 'I always try to involve the audience. I show a fieldwork situation and ask: how would you handle that? That way it becomes two-way traffic, not a one-way lecture. You notice this triggers students to really start thinking along.'
That field component, he says, is also exactly what makes the subject so special. 'In archaeology, we go on fieldwork, we stay on location, you really work together with students. That creates a different kind of bond. You see up close how the students grow. They take a step towards adulthood and I get to be part of that. That is a privilege.'
A meaningful prize
On 19 June, Louwen and the other two finalists gave a mock lecture in PLNT. His contribution? A “Crash Course in Coring”: an attempt to literally pull the field into the lecture hall. 'I've had a lot of fun in that afternoon. The other candidates were nice people too. It felt like a celebration of education.'
Education with impact
Louwen speaks with admiration of previous nominees from the Faculty of Archaeology, such as David Fontijn, Aris Politopoulos, Marike van Aerde and Dennis Braekmans. Louwen himself was trained by Fontijn, who won the prize in 2008. 'I've taken his way of lecturing with me subconsciously. That enthusiasm, that down-to-earthness. It suits me. Otherwise it becomes an act.' Louwen dedicated his acceptance speech to his mentor David Fontijn.