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Prize awarded for the best international teachers of the year

At the Rector's international party at the end of October, the Student Union at UH awarded a prize for this year's best international teachers.

Since there were two strong candidates of almost equal weight, the board of the Student Union decided that the prize should be shared by both. The winners are Paul Ilsley, Professor of Education, and Alfonso Padilla, Doctor and Docent in Musicology.

The Student Union grants the Best International Teacher Award on an annual basis. By recognizing outstanding lecturers and dedicated supervisors with the award, the Student Union wants to highlight the importance of international teaching at the university.

Alfonso Padilla, Doctor and Docent in Musicology at UH, was extremely pleased to be awarded the prize.

"It really feels good to get feedback on your teaching performance this way," he says.

At the university, Padilla teaches individual courses and seminars. He is also involved in undergraduate programmes and doctoral studies for students. As a thesis supervisor, he lets his students think for themselves and never serves them with themes for their papers or suggests certain theories.

"The students are 100-percent responsible for their text and performance. And my students always perform," says Padilla.

During his entire life Padilla has been involved with music. He is also a self-taught composer. During his time at the university, he has worked with the composer Kalevi Aho.

The statement giving the reasons for awarding the prize to Padilla described him as "a versatile expert", "dedicated", "encouraging" and "possessing a good sense of humor". Paul Ilsley received the prize because he was considered to be a "passionate", energetic and enthusiastic" teacher.

Approximately 500 international teachers are employed at the university in teaching and research groups.

"It would be nice, though, if the number of international professors was even higher," adds Ilsley, who during the interview was in California.

Read more about the international teachers of the year in the December issue of Yliopistolainen.

Text: Nathalie Edman
Photo: Eeva Anundi
Translation: AAC Noodi 24.11.2009
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