LundaEkonomerna’s prize for best teacher is awarded annually following a vote among students at LUSEM. The Best Teacher of 2025 is Professor of Economics Tommy Andersson.
The motivation from LundaEkonomerna’s Education Committee reads:
"Tommy has made the subject of microeconomics truly engaging, capturing students' curiosity and attention throughout every lecture. The students praise his exceptional pedagogical skills and ability to create an inspiring and stimulating classroom atmosphere.
His dedication to teaching makes him a standout educator who leaves a lasting impact on everyone he teaches."
Congratulations on the award — how does it feel?
“It feels great. It’s always nice to be recognised. Teaching is something I enjoy, take seriously, and devote a lot of time to.”
Beyond the official motivation, what do you think students appreciate most about your teaching?
“They probably see that I prepare carefully. I have my theme and my plan, but when things are going well you can also be more spontaneous, pick up a discussion or a question and let it take space. And yes, I have my PowerPoints, but I try to choose examples in the moment and make them relevant and more vivid. As much as possible, I try to read the room, and if I notice that I haven’t been understood, I try to explain it in a different way.”
What do you like most about being a teacher?
“I like talking with smart students. I often meet them during their first semester and then perhaps again when they take master’s-level courses. They are incredibly impressive, not least because of all the ideas they bring with them. New students may not have the structures and concepts fully in place yet, but they are incredibly interesting because they often think so far outside the box.”
How do you see university pedagogy having developed since you studied and throughout your career?
“The big change is all the technological tools we now have access to. I use Menti a lot and rely less on classic lecturing, even if the knowledge we teach today is similar to what I learned myself. I use the tool to reinforce the theories from the book in real time, with the help of the students, and I think it increases the credibility of the theories.”
A bit more about you—what made you choose an academic career?
“I started here in 1999 and was very keen to learn more about a subject I was interested in, and that interest hasn’t exactly decreased over the years. Economics, mathematics, and statistics are the areas that have captivated me the most.”
How do you think the role of a university teacher will change over the next ten years?
“I think a lot will be influenced by chatbots and AI. We are more ‘connected’ to the world. It may also be that another teacher somewhere in the world has recorded a video on the topic I’m supposed to teach—and done it brilliantly. Then my role in the classroom may become something other than that of the lecturer, finding new ways to help students understand more. We already see fewer students coming to class, and we need to answer how we make that part more rewarding so they see value in being here.”
“As a final note, I want to say thank you so much—this really makes an old man happy.”