Huub Savelkoul was ‘extremely honoured and extremely pleased’ that he had finally won the price, he said, beaming in response to the applause.
The jury praised Savelkoul’s capacity to involve students actively in his classes, and his enthusiastic teaching style: ‘There were jury members who remembered Huub Savelkoul running through the lecture room pretending to be an antibody.’ The jury was also impressed by Savelkoul’s efforts to develop a kind of Honours programme for teachers.
Savelkoul will receive a bronze replica of Jan Praet’s statue The Teacher, which stands in front of the entrance to the Leeuwenborch. And, like the other nominees, he received 2500 euros, a trophy and the jury report. In the race for the title, Savelkoul left André van Lammeren, Ute Sass-Klasen, Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers and Marthijn Sonneveld far behind him.
Attention was paid during the ceremony in Orion to the death of Marthijn Sonneveld, who died of cancer at the end of 2013. Professor Jakob Wallinga spoke briefly about the young assistant professor of Land Dynamics, and a minute’s silence was observed. Sonneveld’s trophy was handed over to his wife and sister, who attended the ceremony with other members of the family.