Professor Jacob Fokkema

Jacob Fokkema is proud of his Best Professor Award: “Being a Best Professor takes more than just being a good teacher. You have to take your students on an academic adventure. It's great if your colleagues and students show their appreciation.”

Fokkema's sabbatical took him to New Zealand: “The soil there is perfect for research into one of my specialist subjects: georadar. I gave lectures, supervised a post-doc and made lots of unique contacts.” But being a Best Professor also involves obligations: “Best Professors are among the cream of the university crop. They’re the ambassadors and the conscience of the university. They must set a good example, but also have a duty to speak out if they are unhappy about the way things are going. Noblesse oblige.”

Nowadays, Professor Fokkema conveys his passion for teaching and research to others as a coach. “You have to love what we do as a university with all your heart, without wanting to be particularly rich or important yourself. That's the bottom line.”