Award for dedication and development of teaching
In a closing ceremony on Teaching Day on 9 April 2024, Vice President for Teaching Prof. Dr Julia Gillen presented a total of six teaching awards, for which all members of the university were able to submit nominations. Good teaching has many facets: The Leibniz University Hannover Teaching Award recognises professors and mid-level academic staff in three categories: Motivation and Inspiration, Strategy and Transfer and Professionalisation and Teaching Culture. The awards are endowed with 2,000 euros each.
This year, two of the prizes went to lecturers from the Faculty of Natural Sciences:
Teaching Award in the Strategy and Transfer category
The Vice President highlighted Prof. Dr Jutta Papenbrock 's particular commitment to internationalisation - as Dean of Studies, Exchange Coordinator and EULiST Officer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The nomination by students reflects the appreciation of the botanist's international perspective in her projects and teaching: "Prof Papenbrock not only offers a suitable environment for her students, but also teaches topics of international relevance and promotes technology transfer at various levels. She has supported less industrialised countries in the transfer of knowledge on topics of national and international importance," emphasised the students.
In her words of thanks, Ms Papenbrock emphasised that the change of perspective through the involvement of international students was particularly valuable for everyone. She also thanked all students in particular for their openness in welcoming students from all over the world.
Teaching award in the Professionalisation and Teaching Culture category
Prof. Dr Sophia Rudorf had already successfully acquired InnovationPlus funding from the Ministry of Science and Culture and used it to set up her 2023 teaching project, in which the programming language "Julia" is tought. This was very well received by the students, as was emphasised in a nomination: "In a closely interlinked, multi-layered teaching concept, students were taught programming skills and trained to become project managers of their own practical open-source project". The teaching concept gave the students practical responsibility in the spirit of challenge-based learning.
Ms Rudorf thanked the members of her team, in particular Dr Simon Christ, for the joint success of the project.
The Faculty of Natural Sciences congratulates on the teaching awards!
