WRM-34806 course won the excellent education award 2022 for the best advanced course at Wageningen University.

In the category “advanced courses” the course “Water, Society & Technology – concepts and debates” (coordinator Gert Jan Veldwisch and teachers Rutgerd Boelens, Alex Bolding, Jaime Hoogesteger van Dijk, Rozemarijn ter Horst, Esha Shah and Jeroen Vos) has won the excellent education award 2022.

A jury of 4 students and 4 former teachers found this WRM course the best advanced course at Wageningen University. The jury report reiterates that “this course serves as an analytical introduction to contemporary water issues and debates and it stands out because of the interaction it has achieved between teacher and students as well as between students, thereby reaching an integrated interdisciplinary perspective with coherence and depth”. The committee also highlighted that the teaching methods were “activating and by stimulating critical thinking it helped students to develop their own vision”. Students mentioned that the group activities and discussions during tutorials encouraged them to apply empirical knowledge gained from reading materials in real life. They appreciate the diversity of topics addressed. The jury noticed that the teachers “give credit to students for their role in the way the course has developed over time”, reflecting the history of the course, which has its roots in student protests in the 1980s. This led to a phase of radical educational renewal at the time. Students are still given a very active role in co-shaping the course each year, something that is highly appreciated and providing a basis for deep professional learning and personal transformation.

The course will run again in period 2, due to start on Monday 31 October 2022. If you still want to join this “excellent, prize-winning course” (;-)), drop an email to the course coordinator Gert-Jan Veldwisch via gertjan.veldwisch@wur.nl.

Learn more about the Excellent Education Prizes of 2022 at Resource magazine.