The Comenius grants aim to foster innovation and enhance higher education in the Netherlands, ultimately benefiting students. These grants provide an opportunity for teachers to translate their ideas for educational innovation into tangible actions. Recently, dr. ir. Janneke Ettema, assistant professor at the University Twente's Faculty ITC, was rewarded with a Senior Fellows grant for her initiative called: Game-changers solving climate change challenges.
Game-changers solving climate change challenges
"We envision our geo-information students as crucial players when it comes to building sustainable solutions to combat climate change challenges," reads the proposal which is summarized on nro.nl. It continues: "In this project, we educate them to become the game-changers of the future. Nowadays, scientific knowledge is not enough to create the paradigm shifts needed with tackling wicked challenges. A game-changer needs the courage, knowledge and attitude to spark a multi-stakeholder dialogue. We will develop an evidence-based toolbox on creative communication, awareness raising and applied improvisation. As these skills enrich our educational program, a team-based curriculum design approach is applied involving teachers, students and professionals from Arts and Science domains."
COMENIUS GRANTS
Every spring, the National Educational Research Organisation (NRO) awards Comenius grants to education professionals in higher education. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has made €6.2 million available for the Comenius Programme 2023. The fellowships range from up to €50,000 for Teaching Fellowships (27 projects this year), up to €100,000 for Senior Fellowships (25 projects this year) and up to €500,000 for Leadership Fellowships (4 projects this year). They enable education professionals to put their ideas for educational innovation into practice. In this way, the Comenius programme contributes to the renewal and improvement of higher education in the Netherlands.
Within the Comenius programme Teaching Fellows 2023 Mark Vlutters of the Faculty of Engineering Technology obtained a grant of 50.000 euro for his small-scale innovation in education.
Source: website NRO
Previously granted Comenius projects | NRO
