Wageningen University & Research Confers Its Teacher of the Year

The Teacher of the Year (TOTY) award was presented to Ignas Heitkönig on Tuesday, 20 June. Students of the jury call him ‘creative’ and ‘authentic’, and say he strives to make abstract ideas understandable. His love for nature and his efforts in favour of biodiversity and nature-inclusiveness were also cited.

There were five remaining candidates for the award. In addition to the Teacher of the Year Award, the four Excellent Education Prizes were also presented in Impulse.

Heitkönig discovered his love for teaching during his PhD research in South Africa. After obtaining his PhD, he taught several courses at Venda University. In Wageningen, Heitkönig currently teaches several courses, including Ecological Methods, Animal Ecology and Wild Perspectives. He is also active outside of his teaching, says the jury. In 2016 he helped found the Future for Nature Academy, which aims to encourage students to become involved in nature and biodiversity; he is involved in the Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative and is committed to reducing the number of parking spots on the campus.