ECHO Award 2025

Join us for the festive ECHO Award 2025 ceremony – and our 25th anniversary – on 10 December!

On Wednesday, 10 December, the ECHO Award 2025 ceremony will take place at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. This celebratory gathering marks not only the culmination of the ECHO Award trajectory but also the 25th anniversary of the ECHO Award – a milestone in recognising and celebrating inclusive leadership in higher education.

The ECHO Award is an annual recognition for students with a non-Western or refugee background who are studying in higher education and creating impact on urgent social issues. During the ceremony, we honour the finalists and winners who distinguish themselves through their dedication, vision, and contributions to a more inclusive society.

🎟️ Registration: Sign up via this link or the button below:
https://forms.gle/HqCWkG5JCwbGxvN9A
Bringing someone along? They can register through the same link.
Registration is open until Thursday, 4 December.

We warmly welcome the entire ECHO community!

Date: Wednesday, December 10th, 2025
Location: The Hague University of Applied Sciences (Johanna Westerdijkplein 75, The Hague)
Start: 19:15 (buffet 18.00 – 19.15)

Register for the ECHO Award 2025

Program

18.00 – 19.15 Buffet
19.30 – 21.00 Ceremony

- Welcome by The Hague University of Applied Sciences
- Panel with ECHO Ambassadeurs: Muhammed Al-tamimi, Sameha Bouhalhoul, Rudy van der Beek
- Jury chair address
- ECHO Current Affairs Award: getting to know the finalists & winner announcement
- ECHO Award WO: getting to know the finalists & winner announcement
- ECHO Award HBO: getting to know the finalists & winner announcement

21.00 – 21.45 Afterparty (DJ set by Disco Arabesquo)

Reform of the ECHO Award

Starting in 2025, we are introducing a renewed structure in which three ECHO Awards will be presented to students who stand out for the impact they create on urgent social issues. In recent years, we have seen that students contribute to social change in a variety of ways. While the categories used in previous years (ECHO Award for Universities of Applied Sciences, ECHO Award for Research Universities, Beta Technology Award, and Law & Tax Award) have been valuable, the current era calls for a more flexible framework. In the new setup, the HBO (Universities of Applied Sciences) and WO (Research Universities) categories will remain, but we are introducing a third: the Current Affairs Award (Actualiteiten Award). With this award, the jury can think across categories and respond to the most pressing social developments of the coming years.

Afterparty with Disco Arabesquo!

For the afterparty, we are excited to welcome ECHO ambassador Moataz Rageb – also known as Disco Arabesquo. As an Egyptian-Dutch DJ and avid collector of Arabic cassettes, CDs and vinyl, he has gained acclaim for his Disco Arabesquo Nights: vibrant, inclusive and consistently sold-out events that highlight the richness and diversity of Arab music. His distinctive club edits and seamless blend of traditional Arabic melodies with contemporary club culture energize crowds across Europe. We’re delighted to have him bring his dynamic sound to the afterparty, celebrating rhythm, creativity, and cultural connection.