Berend Roorda is UG Lecturer of the Year 2019

Eleven lecturers from the University of Groningen competed for the title Lecturer of the Year 2019 in the Aula of the Academy Building on 29 January 2020. Mr. dr. Berend Roorda from the Faculty of Law has won this competition with his lecture about the Right to Protest. The two runners-up were dr. Méadhbh McIvor of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies , and dr. Laura Batstra of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences. Rector magnificus prof. dr. Cisca Wijmenga honoured the three.

Jury verdict

After the exciting contest, the jury announced the UG Lecturer of the Year 2019. Prof. dr. Peter Verhoef, dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business and chair of the jury: ‘Berend Roorda is a wholly deserving winner. He held a very clear and accessible lecture on a contemporary and important topic, with a lasting impact thanks to his enthusiasm. Alongside his work as a professor, he does much more within and outside the Faculty of Law. Together with the union for philosophically inclined student associations (SKLO; Studentenkoepel voor Levensbeschouwelijk Organisaties), for example, he devised “All Ears”: a listening ear where students can get things off their chest.’

Roorda received an award of € 5,000 from the rector. The prize money for the Lecturer of the Year and for the two runners-up (each 2,500 euro) is made available by the COWOG fund. The prize money is to be used as an investment for their own education (further education, conference, study trips, student assistants, etc.). In addition, the winner received a sculpture made by Joek van Draanen, and an invitation to develop and provide an education module for the Honours College.

Programme

Prof.dr. Anique de Bruin of Maastricht University started the meeting with a keynote lecture: ‘Free to self-regulate’. The teachers, who were nominated by their students, took turns giving short lectures on a subject of their expertise in a series of 9 minute talks from 2.30 pm. The eleven teachers in random order:

• University College Groningen – dr. Ryan Wittingslow
• Medical Sciences – dr. Rob den Otter
• Economics and Business – prof.dr. Jaap Wieringa
• Science and Engineering - drs. Lemke Kraan
• Theology and Religious Studies – dr. Méadhbh McIvor
• Philosophy – dr. Laura Georgescu
• Law - mr. dr. Berend Roorda
• Arts - prof. dr. Lars Rensmann
• Behavioural and Social Sciences -   dr. Laura Batstra
• Spatial Sciences – Martin Boisen, MSc

• Campus Fryslân – dr. Tom Long

This was the thirteenth year the UG Lecturer of the Year election has been held. You can find the previous winners here.