Two EUR Students, Amira al-Rawi (ESHCC) & Yasmina Khababi (ESSB) competed for the 2021 ECHO Awards organised by the Expertise Centre for Diversity Policy.
During the ceremony, streamed live from the congress centre of NS (Dutch Railways) the Minister for Education, Culture & Science, Robbert Dijkgraaf announced the winners in four categories.
These prizes award four students from non-western backgrounds who stand out because of their exceptional academic performance, their entrepreneurial spirit, their organisational ability, their active social involvement and their constructive approach to challenges related to exclusion within society. The winners receive an all-inclusive summer course at UCLA in Los Angeles.
EUR D&I Student Award laureates
EUR’s ECHO Award nominees, Amira al Rawi and Yasmina Khababi were the inaugural laureates of EUR’s D&I student awards, for students from diverse backgrounds who showcase the best aspects of Erasmian values.
ESSB student, Yasmina Khababi combining her passion for food and sustainability founded her social enterprise start-up, Freshtable in early 2020. Freshtable offers halal and plant-based meals that can be ordered twice a week across Zuid Holland and Noord Brabant areas.
Meanwhile, Amira al-Rawi (ESHCC) founded her dance company, 'aRawi', which teaches dancing classes to children and adults with functional impairments and integrates urban dancing culture in regular school curriculums.
In a previous speech to the D&I Student Award Amira al- Rawi highlighted the importance of individual voices to promoting inclusivity seeing the "responsibility to use that voice for those that are unheard, even if it's just to make some noise or turn up the volume, even if it's asking questions”
“A limitless resource for our institution”
Speaking about both nominees, Chief Diversity Officer, Prof. Semiha Denktaş, highlighted their success as clear examples of the diverse talent within the EUR community, adding; “including all people, their knowledge and experiences- making all minds matter, is a limitless resource for our institution.”
EUR congratulates both Yasmina and Amira for their nominations as well as the prize winners in each category.
ECHO Award Ceremony 2021
- More information
More about EUR's D&I Student Awards and how to be considered for an ECHO Award in future.
More about the ECHO awards or visit ECHO's website.