Jonas Juul Receives the 2026 ITU Teaching Award

The Teaching Award is presented annually to individual teachers or groups of teachers whose work has made an exceptional contribution to the quality of ITU's study programmes. This year's award follows a revised nomination and selection process designed to make participation more open and inclusive across the university.

All ITU staff and students were invited to submit nominations, resulting in almost 30 nominations from across ITU's study programmes. Following reviews and discussions by Subject Area Teams and the Board of Studies, the final decision was made by the Award Panel consisting of the Rector, Head of Student Affairs and Programmes, Chair of the Board of Studies, and a student representative from the Board of Studies.

Jonas Juul, who teaches on the Bachelor's programme in Data Science, received strong praise from students for his teaching on the Machine Learning course. Nominations highlighted his engaging lectures, carefully prepared teaching materials, and ability to make a technically demanding subject both accessible and enjoyable.

One nomination described his teaching as "informative and fun", while another highlighted his initiative in partnering with insurance company Tryg to create a real-world machine learning project. Students noted that the collaboration transformed the course's exam project into an inspiring and motivating experience, encouraging them to push themselves and apply their knowledge in practice.

The Award Panel also emphasised Jonas's achievements as a young scholar who has successfully taken responsibility for a large core course while consistently receiving strong course evaluations.

"I am tremendously proud to receive ITU's Teaching Award 2026. At ITU, the pursuit of excellent teaching and education is deeply embedded in the university's DNA, which makes this recognition particularly meaningful," says Jonas Juul.

While honoured by the award, Jonas is quick to share the credit. He sees the recognition as a reflection of a collective effort involving colleagues, student instructors and the broader teaching environment at ITU.

Central to Jonas's teaching philosophy is the belief that ambition and empathy go hand in hand. He strives to create a learning environment that is both challenging and supportive, enabling students to aim high while feeling included and encouraged.

"I strive to deliver ambitious and empathetic teaching. To me, ambition and empathy are not opposites. Meeting students where they are and creating a learning environment that is enjoyable, welcoming and safe supports the possibility of setting the bar high."

Jonas also highlights the curiosity and drive of ITU students as a key source of inspiration. He describes students as eager to engage with a rapidly evolving field and motivated to put their knowledge into practice. This has led him to incorporate real-world scenarios and industry collaborations into his teaching, helping students connect academic concepts with practical challenges they may encounter in their future careers.