Submissions

To nominate a candidate for the ECHO Award 2020, you must have the following information ready:

  • Name, position, institution and email address of the contact person nominated by the candidate;
  • Name, education and email address of the nominated student;
  • Ethnic background and place of birth of the nominated student;
  • Motivation institution with substantiation per criterion;
  • The average grade of the candidate.

In addition, you must upload the following documents:

  1. A nomination letter from the institution / faculty / study program, signed by a member of the Executive Board / the Board of directors;
  2. A personal letter of motivation from the nominated candidate;
  3. A substantiated case assignment by the nominated candidate;
  4. A curriculum vitae of the candidate;
  5. A grade list of the candidate.

Click here to nominate a candidate

Further explanation per document

1. Letter of recommendation from the institution / faculty / degree program, signed by a member of the Executive Board / the Executive Board

In the nomination letter, the institution / faculty / degree program presents the nominated student to the jury with a motivation for nomination. The letter must include a signature from a member of the Board of Governors / the Executive Board.

2. Personal motivation by nominated candidate

The nominated candidate must submit a personal motivation letter. The candidate can take the following questions as a guideline for the motivation letter:

  • What are your aspirations, barriers, challenges, but also your victories / milestones during your studies?
  • What is your vision for the future for a more inclusive society?
  • What is your motivation for making a social contribution to society? What is the social impact of your social activities?
  • What does the nomination mean to you and why is winning the ECHO Award important to you?
  • What do you appreciate about taking a summer course in the United States and what are your expectations from the summer course?

Tip! Don’t be too modest in your personal motivation. All information contributes to a more complete picture of you for the jury of the ECHO Award.

3. Case assignment by nominated candidate

The nominated candidate must elaborate on a case in relation to the role they want to fulfull as an ECHO Ambassador.

Below are two concrete cases that ECHO works with in daily practice. Select one case and try to answer the assignment question as concretely as possible.

Case 1: provide advice for your higher education institution

Many higher education institutions are struggling with the reality of a diverse student population. This is also evident from the large gap that exists in the study success of native Dutch students and Dutch students with a non-Western background. This often has to do with the fact that students with a non-Western background do not feel at home at the institution and do not see their identity and perspectives reflected in the curriculum and the teachers.

Assignment: As ECHO Ambassador you may be asked to participate in meetings with education professionals as sparring partner. In this role you can be asked to share ideas, advice and suggestions you have to make a learning environment more inclusive. Please share three recommendations that you would offer the educational institution you are studying at and explain how your ideas can contribute to a more inclusive learning environment. (guideline 300 words)

Case 2: provide advice for an employer of your choice

Many young people with a non-western background struggle to find a job after graduation. This may be related to limited job application skills, but also to exclusion mechanisms on the labor market.

Assignment: As ECHO Ambassador you may be asked to participate in sessions for employers from the corporate industry or in the public sector. In this role you may be asked about your ideas, advice and suggestions to improve the image of a company for a diverse target group. Formulate three recommendations that you would offer an employer of your choice and explain how your ideas can contribute to an image that reflects diversity and inclusion. (guideline 300 words)

For questions or more information, please contact Pravini Baboeram: pravini@echo-net.nl or 06-23079310.

Deadline submissions for the ECHO Award HBO, ECHO Award WO, ECHO STEM Award and the Loyens & Loeff Law & Tax Award : September 25th 2020