European Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities

Central European University (CEU) is pleased to announce the sixteenth annual European Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities. This pioneering award, first announced in 2011 on the occasion of the university's 20th anniversary, honors academics in the social sciences and humanities who teach at higher education institutions in the European Higher Education Area.

The Diener Prize of 5,000 euros, which accompanies the award, is made possible by a generous gift from Steven and Linda Diener in memory of Ilona Diener.

Eligibility

To be eligible, a candidate must be:

• an academic instructor of any rank* in the Social Sciences and/or Humanities; and
• currently teaching at a higher education institution in a member country of the European Higher Education Area.

Current and former faculty members of Central European University are not eligible.

* While there is no restriction on rank, position, or title, candidates should be at a stage in their careers where they can demonstrate long-term, sustained impact.

Submission Process and Materials

Candidates should send their application materials to the CEU Yehuda Elkana Center, TeachingAward@ceu.edu by Monday, 15th February 2027. All submitted documents must be in English.

• Personal Statement: Keeping in mind the selection criteria (below), please write a detailed statement about your teaching, including your approaches to teaching, concrete examples of what you have accomplished, and a discussion of your teaching development and future goals (1500 - 2000 words);
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) or résumé
• Two Letters of Support: one from a colleague/supervisor; one from a former student 

Candidates are requested not to submit any additional documents, extra letters of recommendation, or other matierals during the initial application. Shortlisted candidates will receive a written request for any additional materials.

Selection Criteria

Sustained teaching excellence. Candidates should demonstrate excellence in multiple dimensions of teaching and over many years, rather than just singular accomplishments.

Innovative pedagogies. Candidates should demonstrate how they have innovated through novel approaches and/or in the contexts of their institution and discipline. Non-exhaustive examples include research-informed and research-informing teaching, problem- and enquiry-based teaching, teaching critical thinking, and use of technologies.

Social inclusion & engagement. A non-exhaustive list of examples include successful initiatives to support the success of all students, to increase access, to engage traditionally underrepresented or disadvantaged learners, to meaningfully involve individuals outside the classroom, and to expand the modalities or formats of learning.

Demonstrated impact. Candidates should provide evidence of the effectiveness of their teaching on students’ learning and/or impact on other educators. Non-exhaustive examples include student outcome attainment, student evaluations, awards, open educational resources, learning resources, and scholarship of teaching and learning.

Review, Selection, and Timeline

The selection process is coordinated by the CEU Yehuda Elkana Center for Teaching, Learning, and Higher Education Research, with a selection committee (jury) comprised of distinguished international leaders in higher education.

An initial round of review will take place in March 2027. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the end of the month with the request to submit additional supporting materials for the second phase of the selection process. These additional materials will be submitted in April 2027. Following selection, the awardee will be notified about the result no later than June 2027. The award will be conferred in-person in Vienna during the CEU Opening Ceremony of the following academic year, in September 2027. At this time, the winner will be publicly announced.

The award competition is intended to be conducted annually. Candidates are welcome to resubmit their applications in future years, but given the emphasis on long-term, sustained innovation and impact, it is advisable to wait to accumulate additional experience before reapplying.

Questions and Additional Information

A list of previous award winners can be found on the CEU Yehuda Elkana Center website. Questions and enquiries are welcome at TeachingAward@ceu.edu

Attachment: 

Call for Applications 2026-2027