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Awards

Leonardo Da Vinci Medal

The Leonardo da Vinci Medal is the highest distinction SEFI can bestow. The Medal is awarded by the SEFI Board of Directors to living persons who have made an outstanding contribution to engineering education, which has had an international significance.

Since its institution in 1983, the Medal has been awarded to:

Fellowship Award

The SEFI Fellowship Award recognises meritorious service to engineering education in Europe. Award recipients may use the expression “Fellow of SEFI” (F.SEFI) as a postscript to their name. The nominees are members of SEFI who have worked in the field of engineering education for at least five years.

SEFI Fellows are

2024 (Lausanne)

  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Müller, TU Munich (DE)
  • Prof. Luís Manuel Sánchez Ruiz, UPV (ES)

2023 (Dublin)

  • Dr. Kristina Edström, KTH (SE)
  • Dr. Maartje van den Bogaard, UTEP (US)
  • Prof. Pieter de Vries, TU Delft (NL)
  • Prof. Yolande Berbers, KU Leuven (BE)

2022 (Barcelona)

  • Jonte Bernhard – Linköping University (SE)
  • Mike Murphy – Dublin Technological University (DK)
  • Şirin Tekinay – George Mason University (US)

2021 (Berlin, online event)

  • Prof. Sheryl Sorby, ASEE (US)
  • Prof. Xavier Fouger, Dassault Systemes (France)

2020 (Enschede, online event)

  • Prof. Martin Echtells Vigild, DTU (Denmark)

2019 (Budapest)

  • Prof. Anne-Marie Jolly, Universite d’Orleans (FR)
  • Prof. Erik de Graaff, Aalborg University (DK)
  • Prof José Carlos Quadrado, USEP (PT)

2018 (Copenhagen)

  • Prof. Ludo Froyen, KU Leuven (BE)
  • Prof. Kamel Hawwash, University of Birmingham (UK)
  • Prof. Eva Sorensen, UCL Engineering (UK)

2017 (Terceira)

  • Prof. Suzanne Ihsen, TU Munich (D)
  • Prof. Antonia Moropoulou, Athens (GR)

2016 (Tampere)

  • Prof. Wim Van Petegem, KU Leuven (B)
  • Prof. Burkards Alpers, Aalen University of Applied Sciences (D)

2015 (Orléans)

  • Dr. Anette Kolmos, Aalborg University (DK)
  • Prof. Oliver Moravčík, Technical Univeristy of Bratislava (SLO)

2014 (Birmingham)

  • Prof. Borri, University of Florence (I)
  • Prof. Dominguez, University of Valladolid (E)
  • Prof. Radcliffe, Purdue Univeristy (USA)

2013 (Leuven)

  • Prof. Jones, Imperial College London (UK)
  • Prof. Avdelas, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR)

2012 (Thessaloniki)

  • Prof. Boev, RAEE, Tomsk Polytechnic University (RU)
  • Dr. Korhonen, Director Education and Employment at TEK (FI)
  • Prof. Steinbach, President of TU Berlin (D)
  • Prof. Zandvoort, TU Delft (NL)

2011 (Lisbon)

  • Pierre Padilla, Ecole Nationale des Ingénieurs de Metz (F)
  • Michael Auer, IGIp (A)
  • Bohdan Macukow, Warsaw University of Technology (PL)

2010 (Trnava)

  • Frank Huband, ASEE (USA)
  • Prof. Gyula Patko, University of Miskolc (H)
  • Prof. Federico Flueckiger (CH)
     

2009 (Rotterdam)

  • Prof. Steffen Bohrmann, University of Applied Sciences Mannheim  (D)
  • Prof. Norbert Kraker, IGIP, (A)

2008 (Aalborg)

  • Prof. Victor de Kosinsky (B/UK)
  • Prof. TU Weck, Helsinki University of Technology (FI)

2007 (Miskolc) 

  • Dr. Ivan Gibson (IER)
  • Prof. Iacint Manoliu ,Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (RO)
  • Prof. Leslie Mustoe, Loughborough University (UK)

2006 (Uppsala)

  • Dr. Jack Lohmann, Georgia Institute of Technology (USA)
  • Dr. Franz Reichl, Vienna University of Technology (A)
  • Prof. Alexander Van den Eijnde,Technical University of Eindhoven (NL)

2005 (Ankara)

  • Prof. Hans Kaiser, Vienna University of Technology (A)

2004 (Valencia)

  • Prof. Marinela Garcia, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ES)
  • Dr. Otto Rompleman, Delft University of Technology (NL)

2003 (Porto)

  • Prof. Robert Gobin, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (B)
  • Prof. Gaston Wolf, University of Applied Sciences Winterthur (CH)

2002 (Florence)

  • Manfred Horvat, BIT Vienna (A)

2001 (Copenhagen)

  • Prof. Horst Hodel †, Interstate University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB (CH)
  • Prof. Günter Kurz, University of Applied Sciences Esslingen (D)

2000 (Paris)

  • Dr. Guy Haug, CRE/EU Consultant, former SEFI Secretary General (F)

1999 (Winterthur/Zürich)

  • Dr. Kruno Hernaut, Siemens AG (D)
  • Prof. Brian Mulhall, University of Surrey (UK)
  • Dr. Joseph M. Steiner, Swinburne University of Technology (AUS)

1998 (Helsinki)

  • Prof. Andrzej Filipowski, Warsaw University of Technology (PL)
  • Prof. Auguste Laloux, Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve (B)
  • Prof. Evan Petty, University of Limerick, (IRL)
  • Dr. Maria-Fernanda Ramalhoto, Instituto Superior Tecnico Lisboa (P)
  • Prof. Øle Vinther, Engineering College Copenhagen (DK)
  • Prof. Paavo Uronen, Helsinki University of Technology (FIN)
  • Prof. Zenon Waszczyszyn, Cracow University of Technology (PL)

1997 (Cracow)

  • Prof. David Jenkins, Oxford University (UK)
  • Mr. Vernon John, formerly University of Westminster (UK)
  • Mr. Edward Prosser, European Commission, former SEFI Secretary General (UK)
  • Prof. Peter Nüesch, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (CH)
  • Prof. Huib van Oort, Twente University, Enschede (NL)

1996 (Vienna)

  • Prof. Guliano Augusti, Università di Roma La Sapienza (I)
  • Prof. Alfred Hansen †, Danmarks Ingeniørakademi Lyngby (DK)
  • Prof. Torbjörn Hedberg, Luleå University of Technology (S)
  • Dr. Markku Markkula, Helsinki University of Technology (FIN)
  • Mr. Alan Smith, European Commission, former SEFI Secretary General (UK)

1995 (Compiègne)

  • Mr. Claude Comina, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
  • Mr. Gabriel Fragnière, former Rector European College, Bruges, first SEFI Secretary General (B)
  • Dr. Günter Heitmann, Technical University of Berlin (D)
  • Prof. Jean Michel, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris (F)
  • Prof. Philippe Olmer †, formerly INA Paris (F)
  • Prof. Niels Krebs Ovesen †, Danmarks Ingeniørakademi Lyngby (DK)
  • Prof. Lennart Råde †, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg (S)
  • Prof. Walter Schaufelberger †, ETH Zurich (CH)
  • Prof. Dieter Seitzer, University Erlangen-Nuremberg (D)
  • Prof. Georges Van der Perre, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (B)

SEFI Francesco Maffioli Award

The SEFI Francesco Maffioli Award is given to individual teachers, or a team of teachers, of higher engineering education institutions members of SEFI, in recognition of open-minded development of curriculum, learning environments or tools, novel didactics, methods or systems in engineering studies.

The winners so far:

2024 – Dr. Ir. Volkert van Steijn – Pre-University Onboarding Programme – KU Leuven

2023 – Prof. Dr. Tinne De Laet  – Tutorial Service – KU Leuven

2022 – Joost Vennekens – Service Learning – KU Leuven

2021 – Gunter Bombaerts and team – Challenge-based course on Engineering Ethics – TU Eindhoven

2020 – Ms Una Beagon and team – Creative Design Studio Framework – TU Dublin

2019 – Mr André Baier – Blue Engineering Initiative – TU Berlin

2018 – Prof. Ingvar Gustavsson – Virtual Instrument System In Reality (VISIR) – from Blekinge Institute of Technology

——

2014 – Board of European Students of Technology—BEST, represented by President, Mathieu Vandenberghe

Best Papers Awards

The Best Papers Award is selected by the attendees of each Annual Conference. There are two best paper categories, best paper for academics, and best paper among students. It is awarded the following year at the conference gala dinner.

The best papers per conference:

2023

  • Best Student Paper Award: Francisca Trigueiros, Jenni Kaipainen, Frederico Silva, Niklas Geising and Erdem Ata Tosum – “Student perspectives on sustainability in Engineering Education: multiple case study of European bachelor’s programs in Industrial Engineering and Management”
  • Best Research Paper Award: Xiaoqi Feng, Julia Sundman, Hanna Aarnio, Maija Taka, Marko Keskinen and Olli Varis – “To withdraw, investigate, negotiate or integrate? Students’ coping strategies with disorienting dilemmas”
  • Best Practice Paper Award: Marius Mailänder, Edward Rullmann, Felix Di Lenarda, Christian Forbrig and Juri Rappsilber – “Keep it simple: Optimized Student Evaluations with Moodle”
  • Susanne Ihsen Award for Best Paper on Diversity and Inclusiveness: Samara Omar, Kate Youmans, Aubrey Wigner, Henry Archer and Carrie McClelland – “Fostering a Sustainable Future through Inclusive Design”

2022

  • Best Research Paper Award – Doulouger, Karolina; D.Vermunt, Jan; Bombaerts, Gunter and Bots, Michael“Analysing student-teacher interactions in a challenge-based learning course”
  • Best Concept Paper Award – Knowles, Nicola; Andrews, Jane; Knowles, Graeme and Clark, Robin (University of Warwick, UK). ’’The Positive Start Project: A Proactive Approach to Promoting Positive Mental Health in the Newer Engineering Academic Community’’
  • Best Student Paper Award – Forbrig, Christian; Rullmann, Edward and Rappsilber, Juri (Technische Universität Berlin). “From student to expert in a week”
  • Susanne Ihsen Award on Diversity and Inclusiveness – Marinelli, Melissa Jane; Male, Sally Amanda (University of Melbourne, Australia) and Lord, Linley Anne (Curtin University, Singapore). “Early career patterns, experiences, and influences: reflections from women engineers in senior roles’’

2021

  • Best Research Paper Award – Bomström Henri; Sievi-Korte Outi; Kilamo Terhi; Systä Kari; Annanperä Elina; Kelanti Markus; Liukkunen Kari (Tampere University, University of Oulu, Finland)“Towards Stakeholder Specific Visualization of Learning Paths in Software Engineering Teaching”
  • Best Concept Paper Award – Ruijten Peter (Eindhoven University of Technology, TU/e innovation Space, The Netherlands) ’’The value of interdisciplinary presentations for engineering students’’
  • Best Short Paper Award – Di Benedetti Matteo; Garrard Andrew; Beck Stephen (The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom) ‘’Build it and they will come: Maintaining students access to fabrication and testing during a pandemic’’ 
  • Susanne Ihsen Award on Diversity and Inclusiveness – Direito Ines (University College London, United Kingdom); Chance Shannon; Clemmensen Line; Craps Sofie; Economides Sophia; Isaac Siara; Jolly Anne-Marie; Truscott Fiona; Wint Natalie ’Diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering education: an exploration of European higher education institutions’ strategic frameworks, resources, and initiatives’’

2020

  • Best Student Paper Award: Phelokazi Ndodana, B Kloot and Corrinne Shaw: “Engineering Identity in The South African Context”
  • Best Research Paper Award: Gillian Saunders-Smiths and Mariana Leandro Cruz: “Toward a typology in literature studies & reviews in engineering education research”
  • Best Concept Paper Award: Sami J Suhonen and Eeva-Leena Tuominen: “Quit your slouching! – using wearable sensors to investigate engineering laboratory work ergonomics”
  • Best Short Paper Award: Taylor Stone, Lavinia Marin and Janna van Grunsven: “Before responsible innovation: teaching anticipation as a competency for engineers”
  • Susanne Ihsen Award for Best Paper on Diversity and Inclusiveness: Iris van Duren and Thomas Groen: “Appreciations of teaching methods across cultures: Lessons learned from international students”

2018

  • Best Concept Paper Award: Marc Lapperouza: Assesing transversal skills in the framework of an interdisciplinary program
  • Best Research Paper Award: Oskar H. Svensson and Tom Adawi: Investigating the dynamics of authentic learning in a project-based engineering course
  • Best Student Paper Award: Julie Direnga: Retention of conceptual understanding – The impact of time pedagogy and teaching activity

2017

  • Best conference paper: Teaching sustainability to engineers: a systematic literature review by Fernanda Strozzi, Carlo Noe, Claudia Colicchia and Alessandro Creazza
  • Best conference poster: European Students’ Perspective on Self-Directed Learning and the Role of the Professor by Celine Smekend, Maximilian Friedl, Hanija Bujas, Joao Camacho and Mustafa Berke Erdis

2016

  • Best paper: Australian Indigenous Cultures in Engineering Education and Challenges of Minority by Goldfinch, Thomas; Jolly, Lesley; Leigh, Elyssebeth; Juliana Kaya, Prpic
  • Best paper written by students: A phenomenography of lecturing by Daniel, Scott; Mann, Llewellyn; Mazzolini, Alex

2015

  • 1st best Paper:  “Breaking the Habit—new approaches in Engineering Education” by L. Steuer, T. Berg and C. Leicht-Scholten from GDI/RWTH Aachen University in Germany
  • 2nd best paper: ” Professors’ Perception of How Men and Women Students Experience Engineering Education Differently… Or Not” by K. Beddoes from Oregon State Uni-versity in Oregon, USA.

2012

  • 1st Best Paper Award: P. Hockicko
  • 2nd Best Paper Award: J. Chandran – A. Stojcevski
  • 3rd Best Paper Award: G. Spinelli – J. A. Perez


2010

  • 1st Best Paper Award: Aura Tuulia Paloheimo – Pirjo Helena Putila – Piija Simpanen
  • 2nd Best Paper Award: Gudrun Kammasch – Susanne Ihsen – Brent K. Jesiek – Kacey Beddoes
  • 3rd Best Paper Award: Ellen Sjoer – Arne Kullbjer – Ingrid Nyman – Adrienne Horan – Emma O´Brien – Eva Perez
  • Best Student Paper Award: Christel Heylen

2009

  • Innovative practice: Anita Thaler and Isabel Zorn – Austria and Germany: “Attracting teenagers to engineering by participatory music technology design”
  • Research and Reflection on Practice: Eddie Conlon and Henk Zandvoort – Ireland and The Netherlands: “Broadening Ethics Teaching in Engineering: Beyond the Individualistic Approach”
  • Research in Engineering Education: Deborah Tully and Betty Jacobs – Australia: “Effects of single gender mathematics classrooms on self perception of mathematical ability and post secondary engineering paths: an Australian case study”

Award for the best PHD Thesis in Engineering Education

The SEFI has launched a competition for thesis at PhD level. The aim of the competition is to stimulate and reward initiatives leading to improvements of Engineering Education.

In order to be accepted, the subject of the thesis must be capable of being classified under the topic: ‘Engineering Education’. The thesis must have been officially accepted or approved by the applicant’s teaching establishment, member of SEFI, during the three academic years previous to the year of the competition.

The winners so far:

2013 – “Socially Competent Leadership – predictors, impacts and skilling in engineering”, Dr. Pia Lappalainen, Aalto University
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