Every year, ECHO (Expertise Center for Diversity Policy) presents the ECHO Award to an outstanding student with a non-western background. Also this year, HU was invited to nominate a student who is socially active and has impact on education and society.

More than 20 years ago was the first edition of the ECHO Awards ceremony. Diversity as a theme was still in its infancy. At the time, the focus was long on issues of diversity. Little attention was paid to the stories of students from non-western backgrounds. Nowadays more is known about Diversity & Inclusion and students know how to make their voices heard more often on issues such as institutional racism. That is why this year ECHO is looking for candidates who take the social debate a step further and actively want to take up a role as an ECHO Ambassador.

Students eligible for an ECHO Award are students with a non-Western background who stand out because of innovation in thinking and doing, organizational ability, active community involvement and constructive approach in challenges related to exclusion. For more information on the criteria click here.

The Diversity & Inclusion Network coordinates the nomination process within the HU and nominates candidates to the Executive Board. An institute, program or professor may nominate a candidate by Monday, May 15, 2023 by emailing the D&I Network at info.di@hu.nl. A committee consisting of the Diversity Officer and Network D&I boosters will make a preselection from the submissions and present it to the Executive Board.

The following documents are required for official nomination:

• Personal cover letter of candidate
• Curriculum Vitae of candidate

NTB: The Diversity and Inclusion Network offers assistance in compiling the required documents. If assistance is desired, this can be made known by email info.di@hu.nl.

The candidate chosen by the Executive Board will then be nominated on behalf of Hogeschool Utrecht for the ECHO Awards 2023.

Of course, it comes with a reward. ECHO Award 2023 winners will be rewarded with an all-expense paid Summercourse at UCLA in the United States in 2024. Winners will be chosen by an independent jury chaired by Ms. Kathleen Ferrier, President of the Dutch Unesco Commission.

For more information about the ECHO Award 2023 visit the website.

Last year, Niusha Froozesh, Communication student and network member was nominated on behalf of Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. She became a finalist for the ECHO Award HBO 2022. Read her story here.