ALICIA LAZZARONI RECEIVES THE TEACHING AWARD 2025

24.09.2025

Associate Professor Alicia Lazzaroni from Aarhus School of Architecture receives the Teaching Award 2025, along with six educators from higher education institutions for inspiring and engaging teaching. The award is presented by the Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund.

At a festive event at the Opera House on Wednesday, September 24, the Teaching Award 2025 is being presented. The prestigious award includes 500,000 DKK, emphasizing the importance of teaching at higher education institutions by honoring teachers who make an exceptional effort and a real difference for students.

A Laboratory for Critical Thinking

Alicia Lazzaroni is the award recipient for the artistic and cultural educations, nominated by the Rector’s College. Since 2020, she has been affiliated with the Aarhus School of Architecture as an educator, bringing international teaching and practical experience from cities including Milan, Madrid, and Singapore. With a special academic focus on the role of architecture in climate change and the need for ecological thinking, Alicia views teaching as a laboratory for critical thinking. Teaching should push the discipline in new directions and point forward. She is therefore deeply committed to involving students through exploratory, interdisciplinary experiments that challenge traditional formats and incorporate real-world practice.

The Collective Space for Learning

This approach also shapes Alicia’s didactic reflections and choices. In her teaching, she strives to create laboratory-like environments where students can experiment, take risks, and confront difficult questions. Engaging in such experimental work also requires a safe and inclusive learning environment, which is why Alicia works thoroughly with methodological tools that support an engaging, collective space full of curiosity, joy, and humor:

“My role is not to dictate, but to unleash potential — to encourage students to think differently by challenging the status quo, by digging deeper into what truly motivates them. I often ask my students: What are your concerns? What fascinates you? Let’s look at it together. In my experience, this creates a deep sense of responsibility and strong engagement.”

Building on Rich Traditions of Didactics

It is in fact the students at the Aarhus School of Architecture who helped nominate candidates for the Teaching Award, and the interest reflects a strong engagement among the student body. The architecture programme in Aarhus is known for a high level of interaction between educators and students — through daily guidance, presentations, critical dialogue, and study trips — building on a rich pedagogical tradition of close, dialogue-based collaboration.

“Alicia has a unique ability to prepare students for a future role as professional actors within the field’s green transition. She addresses complex topics like decarbonization, regenerative architecture, and biodiversity, and skillfully balances a broad spectrum of theory with artistic methods and pedagogy. Her dialogue-based approach fosters motivation and academic reflection among students. At the same time, Alicia’s contagious energy and good humor make her a highly appreciated teacher and colleague,” says Thomas Bo Jensen, Vice-Rector responsible for the education programme at Aarhus School of Architecture.

Aarhus School of Architecture warmly congratulates Alicia and the other award recipients on the prestigious prize and well-deserved recognition. Rector Kristine Leth Juul and Chairman of the Board Carsten With Thygesen will attend the award ceremony along with family and friends.

Read the Ministry’s interview with Alicia Lazzaroni (Danish)
Read a new portrait article with Alicia by Didactic Laboratory (English)
See the film with Alicia below by Kristoffer Juel Poulsen nedenfor.
Find photos of Alicia here

About the Teaching Award

The Ministry of Higher Education and Science honors inspiring and engaging educators in higher education with the Teaching Award. Each year, seven awards of 500,000 DKK are granted (200,000 DKK is a personal honor, and 300,000 DKK for development activities supporting a positive and engaging teaching environment at higher education institutions). The award has been presented annually since 2020.

MÅSKE ER DU OGSÅ INTERESSERET I DETTE

RELATERET INDHOLD

Works + Words 2026