16 April 2026

Talented students who are committed to social change can be nominated for an ECHO Award. Do you know a suitable candidate? You can submit a nomination until Monday 18 May.

About the ECHO Awards

The ECHO Award is a nation-wide award for excellent talent in higher education, awarded by ECHO, Expertise Center Diversity Policy. Students who are eligible for an ECHO Award are Dutch students with roots in Africa, Latin America and Asia (including Indonesia and Japan), and international students who are part of an underrepresented group in their own context.

ECHO will award three Awards to students who distinguish themselves through the impact they create on urgent social issues. Suitable candidates are making tangible contributions that lead to positive change, are being engaged in initiatives focused on policy-related and/or systemic issues and are demonstrating inspiring leadership and the ability to mobilize and motivate others in processes of social change. Bachelor, master and PhD students can be nominated for the ECHO Awards.

Curious about the stories and experiences of previously nominated candidates from Leiden University? Read more about the Leiden finalists from 2024.

What’s in it for students?

Experience shows that the process leading up to the nomination is a valuable experience for our students, contributing positively to their personal development: it allows them to reflect on themselves, who they are, and what they want to work towards. The winners of the ECHO Award 2026 will be rewarded with a 6-week Summer Course at UCLA in the United States in 2027. (Subject to change; if the Summer Course is not possible, a suitable alternative will be sought together with the winners).

How to nominate a student

Do you want to nominate a student? Send the following information to the Diversity and Inclusion Expertise Office (diversiteit@leidenuniv.nl):

• Name and email address of the suitable candidate
• Short justification for the nomination by nominator (ca. 250 words)
• If possible, a CV and short motivation from the candidate 

The deadline is Monday 18 May. The D&I Expertise Office will collate the university’s nominations and submit them to ECHO. The D&I Expertise Office will provide guidance to the candidates in writing the final motivation letter and other requirements of the official nomination procedure for the ECHO Awards. More information about the awards and award ceremony can be found on the ECHO website.

Please note: the procedure as stated on the ECHO website differs from the nomination procedure for the ECHO Awards at Leiden University. Please follow the internal procedure as stated above.

Please contact the D&I Expertise Office via diversiteit@leidenuniv.nl with questions.