Harmen Tiddens Society
We unite teachers and educational innovators in healthcare education.
At UMC Utrecht, we create, test, share, and apply knowledge about health, disease, and care for patients and society. Our education is characterized by continuous innovation that leads the way in national and international development. The Harmen Tiddens Society brings together educators and educational innovators who support this educational mission.
Harmen Tiddens Honorary Medal
The HTS Board annually awards an HTS Honorary Medal to a Dedicated Educator in healthcare education of internationally leading stature. The medal is presented during the HT Educational Grand Lecture delivered by the laureate.
HT Educational Grand Lecture
The Harmen Tiddens Lecture, or Harmen Tiddens Educational Grand Lecture, is one of the annual highlights organized by the Harmen Tiddens Society and is delivered by the most influential scientists and developers of healthcare education.
- In 2018 by Professor Frederic Hafferty (Mayo Clinic, USA)
- In 2019 by Professor Brian Hodges (University of Toronto, Canada)
- In 2020 by Professor Lorelei Lingard (Western University, Canada)
- In 2021 by Professor Cees van der Vleuten (Maastricht);
Grand Lecture Cees van der Vleuten - in 2022 by Professor Patricia O'Sullivan (University of San Francisco, California);
Grand Lecture Patricia O'Sullivan - in 2023 by Professor Marieke Schuurmans (Dutch Healthcare Authority);
- in 2024 by Prof. Dr. Susan van Schalkwyk (Centre for Health Professions Education at Stellenbosch University in South Africa);
Hijmans van den Bergh Education Prize
We award the Hijmans van den Bergh Teaching Prize annually to a lecturer at UMC Utrecht as public recognition for exceptional teaching achievements with an impact on generations of students.
Procedure and nomination for the HB Education Prize 2026
It is once again possible to nominate candidates for the Hijmans van den Bergh Education Prize 2024. A schematic representation of the process is included as an attachment. Two dates to add to your calendar:
- The deadline for submitting nominations is October 1.
- Thursday November 26, 2026 at the lunch meeting from 12:00 to 13:00 on the Day of Education, the award ceremony place.
Additional information
Laureates
- 2017: Marijke van Dijk
- 2018: Inge van den Berg
- 2019: Geert Ramakers
- 2020-2021: Rinie Frijns and Frank Coenjaerts
- 2022: Kristin Denzer
- 2023: Sibyl Geelen
- 2024: Rahul Pandit
- 2025: Marco van Brussel
Public lessons
Members of the scientific staff of UMC Utrecht who have recently been appointed Associate Professor of Teaching will deliver a Public Lecture under the auspices of the Harmen Tiddens Society on a topic that will define their academic activities alongside teaching.
View the invitation to Astrid Freriksen's public class
View the invitation to the public lesson by Marco van Brussel and Marielle Jambroes
Education Colloquium
UMC Utrecht has been organizing educational colloquia since 1999, up to approximately six times a year. Educational colloquia are open, active meetings for lecturers and other interested parties on topics relevant to education and learning. Members of the Harmen Tiddens Society participate in the colloquium committee.
Examples of themes:
- Education from A to Z: who is Generation Z?
- Education in times of COVID-19
- Sustainability in (bio)medical education
- Interprofessional education: with each other instead of side by side
Farewell address by Prof. Olle ten Cate
On August 31, Prof. Olle ten Cate spoke his closing speech titled 'Health Professions Education: Retrospective and Prospectivedelivered in front of a packed hall at Gasthuis Leeuwenbergh and a large online audience.
During the lecture, Olle ten Cate articulated his vision on medical education. His personal reflections provided a clear picture of how Olle became inspired by medical education: from medical care in previous centuries to the anatomical and clinical lessons he attended in Amsterdam. The revolutionary curriculum revisions at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Amsterdam in the 1980s formed a source of inspiration that a landmark has been. The experiences Olle gained there over two decades led to his move in 1999 to the Faculty of Medicine at Utrecht University, where, as a professor of medical education, he devised innovations for decades. The closing lecture was embedded in a program that put Olle in the spotlight, not only for his substantive contributions to Medical Education but especially on a more personal level, in his role as supervisor of various PhD candidates and staff members.
One of the most influential innovations in medical education is the ‘Entrustable Professional Activities’, also known as EPAs. Olle developed this concept and concretized it for the workplace in hospitals and healthcare institutions. Currently, not only postgraduate medical specialist training and nurse specialist training, but also numerous other training pathways in healthcare are based on working with EPAs. Moreover, this influence of EPA-driven education is not limited to the national level; EPAs are now being used worldwide. This latter development is driven in part by the hundreds of scientific publications by Olle and his colleagues, conferences, and the well-attended international online EPA course he established.
The Harmen Tiddens Society has decided to award Olle the Medal of Honor for this exceptional contribution to global medical education. This medal has previously been awarded to other world leaders in the field of medical education.
Tineke Westerveld Fund
The HTS Tineke Westerveld Fund was established on the Day of Education at UMC Utrecht in 2021. The fund is a continuation of the Harmen Tiddens Fund, which was established on the initiative of Em. Prof. Dr. Olle ten Cate with the vision of promoting the development of teaching careers at UMC Utrecht. In honor of the life of Prof. Dr. Tineke Westerveld, the HTS Tineke Westerveld Fund was established on December 9, 2021.
Tineke’s enormous commitment to the learning environment of the medical degree program remains a source of inspiration for the entire educational organization of the UMC Utrecht to this day. By establishing the HTS Tineke Westerveld Fund, all teaching colleagues are given the opportunity to develop to a higher level.
Commission
The fund is managed by a broad-based committee from various parts of the UMC Utrecht organization. The committee also coordinates the spending objectives with Diederik van Dorth, Tineke’s partner.
As of December 9, 2021, the committee consists of:
- Prof. Freek Hoebeek (Chairman)
- Prof. Marieke van der Schaaf
- Prof. Dr. Olle ten Cate
- Dr. Annet van Royen
- Dr. Viggus Sigurdsson
To request
The fund is intended for colleagues of all developmental levels (from PhD candidate to professor) who are considering participating in a course, workshop, or conference for which no funding is available through regular channels. Examples include participation in an international course, such as the Harvard Macy Educator’s Course for experienced education professionals. N.B. Teacher professionalization via the internal BKO, SKO, and TSP programs is not eligible, as these are funded through the Graduate School of Life Sciences and UMC Utrecht divisions.
The application form for the HTS Tineke Westerveld Fund will be published here shortly.
Donations from UMC Utrecht divisions, directorates, and external organizations are very welcome. Please contact Mr. Thijs Bekkers of the UMC Utrecht Education Centre Business Office, mentioning ‘donation HTS Tineke Westerveldfonds’ and cost centre number R5218.
Initiatives from the Tineke Westerveld Fund
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By signing up, you will be kept informed of all activities organized by the HTS.
Apply for HTS
Anyone involved in education and training within the UMC Utrecht and holding a (part-time) appointment at the UMC Utrecht can become a member of the Harmen Tiddens Society. Applications for membership can be submitted throughout the year.
Through membership, you become part of a community for teachers and educators who wish to share and develop knowledge to provide even more engaging, better, and challenging education. The HTS offers a platform for further development and for support with educational projects and contributions to conferences, participation in networks, assistance with literature research, career advice, and the promotion of international collaborations.
Would you like to become a member of the Harmen Tiddens Society? Then please submit the required documents. The documents must be sent as a single combined PDF file to hts@umcutrecht.nl
Board and committees
Management
Prof. Dr. Freek Hoebeek (Chairman)
Drs. Lisette van Bruggen (official secretary)
Prof. Dr. Marieke van der Schaaf
Committees
Dedicated Educators within the Harmen Tiddens Society are expected to participate in one of the committees listed below or serve on the board.
Admissions Committee
The committee that reviews applications for membership as a Distinguished Educator.
Advisory Committee Associate Professor Teaching
The committee that advises on appointments as Associate Professor of Teaching and directs the organization of Public Lectures by appointed APs
Education Colloquium Committee
The committee that determines the schedule and substantive topics of the educational colloquia and selects speakers for them.
Education Fund Committee
The committee that assesses applications for a contribution from the education fund for educational innovation projects and advises on the award.
Related topics
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