Cees van der Vleuten is awarded Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education

Professor Cees van der Vleuten is awarded the 2012 Karolinska Institutet Prize for Research in Medical Education for his research in evaluation and assessment of medical competences.

Professor van der Vleuten, Chair of the Department of Educational Development and Research at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, will receive the award, and a prize amount of 50,000 euro, at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, on 30 October.

This international prize is awarded for outstanding research in medical education. The purpose of the prize is to recognise and stimulate high-quality research in the field and to promote long-term improvements of educational practices in medical training. "Medical" includes all education and training for any health science profession. The prize is made possible through financial support from the Gunnar Höglund and Anna-Stina Malmborg Foundation. It is currently awarded every second year.

"Professor van der Vleuten has made significant contributions to research in medical education within the field of evaluation and assessment of professional competences. He has also made valuable contributions to areas such as problem-based learning, work-based learning and the development of educational theories," says Professor Sari Ponzer, Chair of the Prize Committee.

Professor van der Vleuten's work has since the 1980s focused on how to evaluate what a student has actually learned. Assessment drives all learning and all curricula, all around the world, and Professor van der Vleuten has developed a method outlining how assessment can be used as part of an education strategy.

"This is especially important within the area of medicine and medical education, where professionals constantly revisit their competence in order to treat patients in the best possible way. It's essential that the competence of medical students is constantly assessed and evaluated so that they become better practitioners, regardless if they choose to work as a general practitioner or a specialist in molecular genetics. Now, there is also an increased emphasis on other types of competences, such as communication, which is an essential tool for all medical professionals," says Cees van der Vleuten.

"Im deeply honoured to receive this prestigious Prize. It's also a great recognition for my fantastic team at Maastricht University, which is made up of a large number of excellent people and researchers."

Professor van der Vleuten will hold a lecture at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm on 29 October.