From 2011 to 2021, the Stifterverband and the Baden-Württemberg Foundation awarded and sponsored university lecturers throughout Germany for their teaching concepts in the "Fellowships for Innovation in University Teaching" programme. On the way to a permanent structure, the fellows - represented at Paderborn University by Dr Marc Sacher - have now founded the "Excellent University Teaching" academy. The academy provides the network, which has facilitated interdisciplinary and collegial exchange over many years, with an institutional framework to permanently promote and publicise excellent teaching formats and innovative approaches in university teaching.
The academy was founded at SRH University Heidelberg with over twenty fellows and is supported by the Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching and the Stifterverband, which is also a founding member. The aim of the academy is to network outstanding lecturers and promote interdisciplinary exchange for the further development of university teaching. Bettina Jorzik, long-standing programme director of the fellowship programme, emphasised the importance of this foundation: "It is an important step towards increasing the visibility of excellent teaching and creating a sustainable platform for the exchange and further development of good teaching."
Dr Hannes Saas, Chairman of the Academy's Board of Directors, outlined its future goals: "We will create a vibrant network that specifically initiates and further develops teaching innovations. Our aim is to create a dynamic learning environment in which creative ideas are not only sponsored but also shared. Through regular conferences, publications and close cooperation with universities and other educational institutions, we want to improve the quality of university teaching in the long term and actively shape the discourse on excellent teaching in Germany."
A first milestone will be the Teaching and Learning Conference with the presentation of the Ars Legendi Award on 13 March 2025 in Heilbronn, which is dedicated to the topic of "learning spaces". The Academy is thus making a valuable contribution to improving the quality and professionalisation of teaching in Germany - for the benefit of students and universities alike. Further information and a call for proposals for membership can be found on the website of the Academy of Excellent University Teaching.
This text was translated automatically.
