Education prize won by Engineering Technology lecturer
30 August 2009
Students have named Jan Willem Drukker as the best lecturer at the University Twente. Drukker currently teaches Design History, and during his career has taught at several universities and in five different faculties. And in every faculty he has been awarded the Education Prize. He is incredibly proud of winning this prize here at the University of Twente.
After being awarded the prize, we interviewed Drukker to find
out more.
How did you become a lecturer?
It has just been a series of coincidences. I first studied to
become an econometrician, and during my education about qualitative
economy I had took an optional course about economic history by Han
Baudet. I found this extremely interesting, but I missed the link
back to qualitative economy. Through Han I learned that in the USA
there were qualitative economists and econometricians who were
studying economic history. I completed most of my master's study in
the USA because this discipline was at that time not yet being
studied in the Netherlands. Economic history was initially a hobby
but it became my job.
For the last two years I have been a senior
lecturer at the University Twente, and I really enjoy it. At
other universities you think you can talk to people who have
specialized knowledge and are well published, but in reality it's
disappointing. At the University Twente it's the other way around.
People are down to earth, I like that. It's small, informal, no
bureaucracy, a great atmosphere and I really value the students'
good attitude.
What's also interesting to know is that my uncle, Mr W
Thomassen, was the co-founder of this university. He was the
mayor of Enschede and concentrated on two main goals: the
realization of a technical university and a motorway to the west of
the Netherlands. He later also established the Erasmus University
in Rotterdam. This makes my work and winning of this
prize at the University of Twente extra special."
