Academic citizenship at the heart of the new UvA Vision on Teaching and Learning
Academic citizenship at the heart of the new UvA Vision on Teaching and Learning
Rector Magnificus Professor Anniek de Ruijter will present the vision at the Education Day on Thursday 29 October.
What do we want to offer our students, and how do we prepare them to contribute to society? The new Vision on Teaching and Learning connects research-driven education with engagement with the world around us. From democratic resilience to technological and ethical issues, students at the UvA learn to contribute to scientific and societal challenges in their own way.
Engaged, curious and independent-minded
The three core values of the UvA strategy ‘Together we move forward’ (Samen komen we verder) – engaged, curious and independent-minded – guide our teaching. Students learn to engage with different perspectives, ask questions and develop new knowledge. They are given room to chart their own course. Our teaching also supports them in developing adaptability and resilience, enabling them to deal more effectively with uncertainty and complexity.
De Ruijter: ‘A vision like this only truly comes to life through the day-to-day work of our lecturers. We can put any number of visions on paper, but their success ultimately depends on our lecturers’ expertise, creativity and willingness to experiment. Together, we will put this vision into practice.’
To help students chart their own course, the Vision on Teaching and Learning identifies three orientations: research, society and entrepreneurship. These offer students different ways to contribute to society through their academic education: by pushing boundaries in research, collaborating with organisations, governments and citizens, or translating creative ideas into solutions that create sustainable value. Students can combine these orientations in ways that align with their interests and ambitions.
Putting this vision into practice is a dynamic process. De Ruijter: ‘AI now plays a role in our society in all sorts of ways, including in education. Our new Vision on Teaching and Learning reflects this. Together with lecturers and students, we continue to assess, day by day, what works, where the opportunities lie and where we need to exercise caution. We want to equip students to make use of those opportunities, recognise the risks and take responsibility for their use of AI. Independent thinking and critical judgement remain essential.’
Shaping the education of tomorrow together
Students, lecturers, researchers and staff from across the university have contributed to the Vision on Teaching and Learning. In the coming years, the UvA will translate this shared direction into recognisable choices in education.