Prizes awarded at UiA's staff party

Well over 500 employees were registered and many were on the waiting list when Rector Sunniva Whittaker and University Director Seunn Smith-Tønnessen invited them to UiA's staff party.

The Future Classroom Lab received the 2022 Education Prize

The education prize amounts to NOK 100,000 and should be seen as a clear recognition of work that contributes to innovation and development, the statutes state.

Here you can read more about the Education Prize 

“We are incredibly grateful, happy and proud that our innovation space, the Future Classroom Lab, has been awarded the Education Prize at UiA for 2022”, says the dean of the Teacher Education Unit, Hilde Inntjore.

In the Future Classroom Lab, lecturers, students, kindergarten children and pupils and indeed everyone interested, meet to explore new technology and new methods of teaching and learning. Trial and error is allowed, there is a culture of involvement and experience sharing, and new subject areas cooperating in joint projects.

“Who would have thought that VR headsets would be used for teaching ethics? Or that young children are at a university programming ladybug robots? The teacher training courses have certainly taken important and innovative steps with the Future Classroom Lab, which is important for our students, so that they are well prepared for a job where teacher expertise in digital technology is becoming increasingly important. This is a great recognition for all the staff who contribute to the Future Classroom Lab”, Inntjore says.

This year's Cross-Cultural Bridge Builder is Askil Holm

After an evocative performance together with author and translator Annabelle Despard, Askil Holm, Associate Professor at the Department of Popular Music, was presented with the 2022 Cross-Cultural Bridge Builder Award.

“The award winner is genuinely interested in his field and is constantly seeking new knowledge. The students get the very best and are always motivated. Regional interaction has characterised his entire professional career. And he has sought to relate the field to current challenges. The colleagues who nominated him are proud of everything he achieves and are happy to work with him”, were among the things said when the prize was awarded.

The prize statutes state that:

"The prize is to be awarded to a person who has distinguished him or herself by building a good reputation internally within the organisation and externally, both regionally and nationally. The Cross-Cultural Bridge Builder’s Prize is an honorary award that is given to individuals in recognition of their achievements to strengthen the interaction and culture building at faculty and institutional level."

Andreas Prinz receives teaching award

“The goal of the merit award scheme is to improve the quality of teaching”, says Vice Rector for Education Morten Brekke.

The merit scheme at UiA is an important part of improving the quality of teaching and increasing the value of the education we offer to students. Candidates are assessed according to and must document high quality on four main criteria:

• focus on students' learning
• clear development over time
• scientific approach
• collegial attitude and sharing of experiences

“The status is difficult to achieve. Any person receiving a teaching award will and must contribute to improving the quality of education here”, states the vice rector for education.

Andreas Prinz could not be present at the staff party, so he was presented with the award by Morten Brekke ahead of the party:

Read more about the merit award scheme for lecturers at UiA

Last year, Associate Professor John Arngrim Hunnes and Associate Professor Torunn Skåltveit Olsen at the School of Business and Law at UiA were awarded the status of merited teachers. The celebration was held online due to coronavirus restrictions - so they will also be mentioned this year. Read about the award in 2021.