Nominees for the 2025 Leiden Teaching Prize
Which teacher knows best how to inspire their students? Carmen van den Bergh (Humanities), Egbert Koops (Law) and Arjan Louwen (Archaeology) have been nominated for the 2025 Leiden Teaching Prize.
Every year the Leiden University Student Platform (LUS), a student think tank, presents the Leiden Teaching Prize for the best lecturer of the year. Students can nominate lecturers, and the LUS then draws up a shortlist of three finalists. The prize is awarded during the opening of the academic year on 1 September.
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Carmen’s students value the positive atmosphere in her lectures and praise her enormous dedication to her subject and to her students. She talks with passion about her specialist field and is creative in bringing centuries-old literature to life. ‘She makes every lesson a source of inspiration,’ says one of her students. By interspersing her lectures with films and speeches, she really brings the study material to life for her students.
Egbert Koops
Egbert Koops’ lectures on Legal History are both fascinating and riveting. He is passionate in conveying the lesson material to his students. ‘He creates a learning environment where Roman law, amazingly enough, comes to life,’ says one of his students. His passion for his subject means that time and again he is able to captivate his packed lecture halls. His lectures are always clear and, with his exceptional narrative skills, he is able to make complex material accessible for all his students.
Arjan Louwen
Arjan Louwen, too, 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.’