Laura Albertini Wins 2025 Golden Dandelion Prize

The School of Modern Languages' is delighted to announce that Dr Laura Albertini has received the University's 2025 Golden Dandelion Prize for Excellence in Sustainable Development Education. Laura (pictured) is an Associate Lecturer in the School's Department of Italian and joined the School of Modern Languages in 2022.

The Golden Dandelion Prize – named for the pioneering plant that is usually the first to flower in spring – is given each year to a module nominated to the Sustainability in the Curriculum Prize that fulfils the criteria of QAA’s guide on Education for Sustainable Development.

Laura received the Prize for her module IT3001 (Italian Language 1) - a core language module for all first year students of Italian. The awards committee noted Laura's engagement with innovative pedagogy in relation to assessment and focus on student competencies as well the module's exciting agenda for students. The awards committee noted its appreciation of the innovative ways in which Laura connected with perspectives and practices on education for sustainable development. 

About the Golden Dandelion Prize

Like the dandelion, which provides sustenance for pollenating bees when few other flowers are around, the Golden Dandelion Prize recognises modules that seed, nourish, and disseminate sustainability in the curriculum.

Modules must display creativity and innovation, encourage sustainability capacity, develop relevant competencies and skills, and provide inter- or trans-disciplinary engagement. Modules should engage students with real world examples of the various impacts on sustainability by, for example, reflecting on climate justice, investigating behaviour change, enhancing biodiversity, or analysing net zero solutions.

Learn more about sustainability in the curriculum at St Andrews.