BASEES Teaching Excellence Prizes
Starting in the 2024/2025 academic year, BASEES has offered three prizes to recognise excellence in teaching in Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies, which forms such an important part of our work in higher education.
These three prizes are:
BASEES Early Career Excellence in Teaching Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies Prize
BASEES Distinguished Excellence in Teaching Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies Prize
BASEES Excellence in Teaching the Languages of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Area Studies Prize
Full details on each prize are provided below. Please click on the ‘Nominate’ button below to begin the nomination process.
Please direct any queries not answered below to the BASEES committee member overseeing the teaching prizes.
Details of past winners are located towards the foot of the page.
Nomination process
Nominations for the BASEES teaching prizes are TBC. The deadline for nominations is TBC.
The award winners will be decided by judging panels convened by the BASEES committee member responsible for the BASEES teaching excellence prizes.
The 2026 prizes will be awarded at the BASEES Conference Dinner in Birmingham on 11th April. The prizes will be in each case £150, plus a ticket to the annual conference dinner.
Please contact the BASEES Information Officer or the committee member responsible for the teaching prizes if you have not received confirmation of your nomination within 48 hours.
Guidance
You can nominate yourself or colleagues for these awards. Departments are asked to encourage and support outstanding teachers to apply.
To nominate please complete our online form (see button below). You’ll need to write a statement of support (max 500 words). We're particularly interested to hear about teaching practices that demonstrate excellence in learning opportunities and experiences for students in the field of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies, and (where relevant) the languages of these regions. Submissions that demonstrate innovation in teaching are welcome but are not required. It is recognised that nominees’ teaching may not be exclusively in the field of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies.
Candidates are welcome to mention career breaks if they find it relevant in the dedicated section of the application form.
In addition to the 500-word statement of support, applications for all teaching prizes should include TWO pieces of evidence in support of the nomination. These might include:
Module outlines (the document that states module learning objectives, aims, contact hours, modes of learning, etc).
Module handbooks, including reading list, if appropriate.
Recent feedback from students or peer review gathered during formal university / departmental processes.
A short statement of support from a colleague.
Details of relevant publications and/or conference papers/presentations.
Supporting documentation should be submitted as a single file, and also emailed to this email address here.
Nominees should, at the time of nomination, be members of the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies (BASEES). It is the responsibility of the nominator to check the BASEES membership status of potential nominees and ensure that membership is in place prior to nomination by contacting the BASEES Membership Secretary, if necessary. Nominations of non-members will not be considered.
Conditions of the award
If you win this award you’ll be expected to write an article (500-800 words) to be published in our newsletter and on our website summarising your award-winning teaching activities. This article should be submitted electronically to the BASEES Information Officer. This will mean that your best practice can be shared more widely with our membership and beyond.
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Purpose
The aim of this annual award is to recognise early career academics, who have contributed to the positive learning experience of students in the fields of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies, but have not yet held a permanent contract in higher education. This contribution could include bringing new ideas (including from your disciplinary research field) to higher education institutions and your current teaching or creating the beginnings of new innovative teaching pedagogical theory, styles, practices, or methods, or offering examples of best practice in teaching. Your contribution needs to be clear but at this point in your career can still be in its early stages or drawn from a very specific instance.
Eligibility
This award recognises excellence in teaching Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies by an early career BASEES member. For the purposes of this prize, this means academics – on either teaching- or research-focused contracts – who have not yet held a permanent academic post in higher education.
Nominations should demonstrate the following:
A positive contribution to learning and teaching in Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies (Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus, Central Asia) within higher education.
Where relevant, the use of innovative teaching strategies
Meeting the needs of a diverse student population
Stimulating independent learning and critical thinking
If appropriate, evidence of successful dissemination of best practice in teaching and learning in Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies
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Purpose
The aim of this annual award is to recognise established academics who have contributed to the positive learning experience of students in the fields of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies across their career. A positive contribution could include bringing new ideas (including ones from within your research field) to existing higher education institutions and your current teaching, or creating new innovative teaching approaches, including pedagogical theory, styles, practices, or methods, or offering examples of best practice in teaching.
Eligibility
Candidates will be BASEES members who have held an academic position (either teaching- or research-focused) that involves regular teaching commitments in Slavonic and East European Studies for at least five years and will have contributed to learning and teaching in Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies through a systematic or wide-ranging set of activities or contributed to the dissemination of best practice in teaching and learning.
Nominations should demonstrate the following:
A positive contribution to learning and teaching in Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies (Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus, Central Asia) within higher education.
Where relevant, the use of innovative teaching strategies
Meeting the needs of a diverse student population
Stimulating independent learning and critical thinking
If appropriate, evidence of successful dissemination of best practice in teaching and learning in Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies
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Purpose
The aim of this annual award is to recognise teachers of the languages of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Area Studies in higher education, who have contributed to the positive experience of students learning the said languages in higher education. This could include implementing best practice to enhance student learning, bringing new pedagogical techniques to higher education institutions, developing new innovative teaching pedagogical theory, styles, practices, or methods, supporting student engagement or promoting language learning in the UK.
Eligibility
This award recognises excellence in teaching the languages of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Area Studies in higher education by a BASEES member.
Candidates are not expected to necessarily be exclusively devoted to language teaching (regardless of contract type), but this should form a substantial part of their role.
Nominations should demonstrate the following:
A positive contribution to learning and teaching of a language or languages of Slavonic, East European and Eurasian Studies (Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus, Central Asia) within higher education
Where relevant, the use of innovative teaching strategies and aids
Meeting the needs of a diverse student population
Developing the appreciation of the culture(s) of the languages of Slavonic and East European Studies in higher education
Current Winners
2026
The judges for the 2025/26 cycle were Katharine Hodgson (Exeter), Adam Fergus (Sheffield), Samuel Foster (UEA), Natalia V. Parker (UCL), and Natalia Rulyova (Birmingham).
Distinguished Excellence in Teaching Slavonic, East European & Eurasian Studies
Margarita Vaysman (University of Oxford)
The judging panel was impressed by Dr Vaysman’s pedagogical approach, characterised by remarkable coherence, intellectual ambition, and sustained student-centred innovation. The panel noted that Dr Vaysman demonstrates a clearly articulated teaching philosophy, combined with a rigorous methodology that fosters critical reflection, inclusive dialogue, and active student participation. Particularly notable is Dr Vaysman’s transformative reconceptualisation of literary and cultural canons, enabling students to interrogate and expand inherited frameworks.
The panel further commended Dr Vaysman’s exceptional quality of teaching materials and module design, which promote both precise contextualisation and open-ended inquiry. This is complemented by a strong commitment to inclusivity in both content and pedagogy, as well as meaningful engagement in wider networks supporting the study of Russophone literatures and cultures. Student feedback attests to the profound intellectual and personal impact of Dr Vaysman’s teaching.
Excellence in Teaching the Languages of Slavonic, East European & Eurasian Studies
Natallia Kabiak (University of Melbourne)
The panel was impressed by Dr Kabiak’s pedagogical approach, distinguished by its coherence, innovation, and sustained commitment to active, student-centred learning. She demonstrates a carefully structured methodology that supports language learners at every stage of progression, from foundational language acquisition to confident engagement with complex literary and cinematic texts.
Particularly noteworthy is Dr Kabiak’s use of film as a teaching tool, both in the classroom and in her textbook publications. Dr Kabiak’s teaching is characterised by a thoughtful balance between instruction and interaction, fostering a highly engaged learning environment in which students actively collaborate and contribute. Strong peer observation evidence, together with a recognised record of professional development and scholarly output, attests to Dr Kabiak’s reflective, well-informed, and impactful teaching practice that makes a significant contribution to language education.
Past Winners
2025
The judges for the 2024/25 cycle were Katharine Hodgson (Exeter), Adam Fergus (Sheffield), Samuel Foster (UEA), Natalia Rulyova (Birmingham) and Mikhail Vodopyanov (St Andrews).
Distinguished Excellence in Teaching Slavonic, East European & Eurasian Studies
Connor Doak (University of Bristol)
In recognition of an innovative contribution to Russian Studies through the development of a transnational approach, in collaboration with other leading scholars in the field, and integrated consistently across multiple modules. The judging panel noted how Dr Doak’s teaching exemplifies a coherent and systematic effort to rethink traditional frameworks, opening broader horizons for students and fostering curiosity and critical reflection.
Student feedback highlights the transformative impact of his teaching, noting both intellectual growth and transferable skills. His commitment to mentoring and support for learning is outstanding, and his initiative in collecting qualitative evidence from former students demonstrates a reflective and student-centred approach to pedagogy.
Early Career Excellence in Teaching Slavonic, East European & Eurasian Studies
Liudmila Listrovaya (University of Michigan)
The judging panel noted that given the current paucity of taught modules focused on the environment in East European and Eurasian Studies, the course designed and taught by Dr Listrovaya – ‘Environment, Politics, and Society in Russia’, represents an important and meaningful contribution to the field.
The panel were impressed by a profile that would do credit to an innovative, established scholar: the module handbook amply demonstrates that the teaching is as scholarly as it is inclusive; that its methods are as innovative as they are rigorous; and that students are stretched intellectually and supported pastorally. There is ample flexibility for students to range across several disciplines. Regular written responses ensure full engagement throughout the module. Students' feedback speaks eloquently of their growth, and reflects Dr Listrovaya’s clear commitment to their active learning.
Excellence in Teaching the Languages of Slavonic, East European & Eurasian Studies
Natalia V. Parker (UCL)
The judging panel was pleased to recognise Dr Parker’s exemplary commitment to pedagogical excellence and innovation in language education. Her teaching is informed by cutting-edge research, including her own doctoral and published work, and is consistently shaped by a strong focus on inclusivity and student satisfaction. Dr Parker has actively disseminated her pedagogical research internationally and integrated it across multiple modules with clarity and consistency. Student feedback reflects impressive levels of satisfaction recorded for language modules, highlighting the tutor’s transformative impact on learning and mentorship. Dr Parker’s teaching methods are demonstrably effective, and their contribution to the field is exemplary—setting a standard of good practice that deserves wide recognition.