Photo: Malthe Ivarsson
Brian Jørgensen named Lecturer of the Year 2026
Brian Jørgensen teaches on the Communication Design programme at Kolding School of Design and has been named Lecturer of the Year, receiving the 2026 Teaching Award from the Rectors’ Conference for Artistic and Cultural Higher Education.
The award recognises a lecturer who has made an exceptional difference to their students, with the students’ own words playing a key role in the nomination on which the award is based.
Brian Jørgensen teaches UX, user interface design and multiplatform storytelling at both Bachelor’s and Master’s level. But what perhaps characterises his teaching most is his ability to meet each student where they are.
“I believe it is important to meet students where they are in their learning, rather than expecting them to come to me. It is very important to me to understand how students experience the world and the academic challenges they face. We all experience the world differently, and to me, good teaching is rooted in empathy and respect for the people being taught. I try to understand them well enough to make the teaching simple and accessible to each individual,” explains Brian Jørgensen.
This is also highlighted in the nomination for the Lecturer of the Year award. Among other things, his students write that Brian “makes complex knowledge tangible, inspiring and challenging in a way that awakens ambitions you did not know you had”.
Teaching Assistant Professor Brian Jørgensen is the recipient of the 2026 Teaching Award.
Photo: Rasmus Rørbæk
Complexity at the right time
This approach is perhaps most evident in the way Brian Jørgensen structures his learning environment. He uses project management methods such as Scrum – a framework originating in software development – as a teaching tool. It allows a class to work as a team, with regular reviews and iterative processes, while theory is deliberately introduced only when the students themselves begin to feel the need for it. Rather than thinking in terms of a fixed syllabus, he describes knowledge as a set of resources that can be drawn on when needed.
“The complexity of a subject can be a powerful source of motivation once you understand the task and are ready to explore the details. But sometimes things simply need to be kept very straightforward. For me, that is where storytelling comes into teaching: translating complexity into something the students can relate to, and then building from there,” explains Brian Jørgensen.
Doing the rounds at Kolding School of Design
Brian Jørgensen came to teaching after a career working in agencies, but it was missing genuine human interaction that ultimately drew him towards the classroom.
Today, what he values most about the job is seeing students move from feeling nervous and hesitant to becoming skilled and confident. He does what he jokingly calls his “ward rounds”, checking in with the different groups on a daily basis and relying on his intuition to sense when someone needs a little extra support to move forward.
Inclusion is equally central to his teaching. Open conversations about disabilities and neurodivergence, including ADHD and dyslexia, are a regular part of the classroom, and one of the ways he creates a safe environment is by sharing experiences from his own life.
“For me, inclusion is about making it completely natural to talk about the fact that we are not all strong in the same areas. I introduce the conversation about disability early on because it creates an awareness that inclusion is something we all have to work actively towards. One way I do that myself is by sharing things from my own life, because that trust is what makes people feel able to say when they need help.”
There are many different aspects to being a good lecturer, Brian Jørgensen explains.
Photo: Rasmus Rørbæk
“I’ve already received the real prize”
With the 2026 Teaching Award, Kolding School of Design receives official recognition of something many of its students discovered long ago: Brian Jørgensen is a lecturer who does more than communicate professional knowledge. He creates the confidence and trust students need to take the leap themselves.
The award was presented to seven recipients from different educational institutions at an official ceremony attended by 150 invited guests at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen. Here, Denmark’s Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, spoke about what defines a good lecturer in 2026:
“A good lecturer can do more for young people than simply provide answers. It is increasingly about giving students the curiosity and courage to challenge things and investigate for themselves. AI may provide quick answers about what is already known, but we need people who can inspire young people to find their own paths. Thank you – and congratulations to each and every one of you,” said Christina Egelund.
The awards were then presented by HM Queen Mary, after which the recipients had the opportunity to expand on what, in their view, creates a strong and innovative learning environment in a panel discussion with the day’s host, journalist Anja Bo.
The occasion certainly made an impression on Brian Jørgensen, although he already felt that he had received the prize that mattered most.
“I am incredibly proud and grateful to receive the award at the Opera House. It is a moment in my life I am unlikely ever to forget. But perhaps the most precious prize came when I received the nomination for the Teaching Award and was able to read what the students had said about me. Let’s just say I was a little late for work that day because I was so moved and happy that I needed a moment to finish crying first. It makes me even more determined to continue this work and to make an even greater effort for the students,” concludes Brian Jørgensen.
The 150 invited guests also had the opportunity to hear the award recipients share their perspectives on good teaching in a conversation with journalist Anja Bo following the presentation ceremony.
Photo: Rasmus Rørbæk
