Distinguished Teaching Award winners named

Each year, five Distinguished Teaching Awards are presented at Uppsala University in recognition of outstanding contributions to education at the basic and advanced levels.

Four of the awards are designated for teachers within specific academic fields: Medicine and Pharmacy; Mathematics, Science and Technology; Law and Social Sciences; and Theology, Humanities and Educational Sciences.

The fifth award, known as the “free award”, is presented annually to a teacher who has made significant contributions within a prioritised thematic area. This year, the theme was “Belonging and Participation”, and the award was given to Maria Kjellson, Professor of Pharmacokinetics at the Department of Pharmacy.

The award citation reads:

Maria Kjellsson teaches international Master’s students at an early stage in their encounters with the Swedish academic context. On her own initiative, she has taught herself more about cultural differences and mental illness, and through this she has developed an understanding of the challenges that these students face and developed strategies that enable her to respond to them in the best possible way. Maria engages her students by showing interest in their backgrounds and is keen to create a sense of belonging in the group. Students speak of her as an inspiring mentor and role model, not least because of her inclusive approach.

The field of Medicine and Pharmacy

This year’s award in the field of Medicine and Pharmacy was also presented to the Department of Pharmacy. The recipient was Karin Svensberg, Senior Lecturer.

The award citation reads:

Due to her strong engagement, Karin Svensberg has played a crucial role in the creation of authentic training pharmacies at Uppsala Biomedical Centre (BMC) where, throughout their studies, students now get the opportunity to practise their skills in a safe environment based on realistic cases to help train them for their future professional lives. She skilfully integrates her research and experience from outpatient care pharmacies into her teaching. Karin’s ability to develop course content and practical exercises around patient-centred drug communication and pharmaceutical care helps students acquire a clearer picture of their upcoming role as professionals.

Anders Berndt

Robin Widing