HTW Berlin Teaching Award
2026: “Shaping the future together! Teaching with relevance for society and democracy.”
The award for good teaching recognizes high-quality, student-centered courses and is presented annually at HTW Berlin with a specific theme. This year's theme is:“Shaping the future together! Teaching with relevance for society and democracy.”The award recognizes courses that highlight at least one of the following aspects:
Effective participation and democratic learning processes
Students actively participate in shaping learning processes, make decisions, take responsibility, and experience diversity of perspectives, dialogue, and reflection as a natural part of teaching practice.
Real social challenges as learning opportunities
The course addresses specific issues and problems of the present and future. It is academically grounded and socially relevant, and designed in such a way that students analyze and work on real problems and develop solutions.
Reflection on the impact and responsibility of one's own subject
Students reflect on the ethical, social, and cultural significance of the content and skills of their subject for society and democracy.
The annual theme explicitly refers to courses in all disciplines.
Technical, economic, creative, natural science, and social science solutions and decisions have a direct impact on society. This creates a need for transparent, responsible, and reflective design processes in all disciplines. This year's theme aims to highlight precisely this diversity of professional contributions to social responsibility.
Selection criteria
- At least one aspect of the tender topic is clearly addressed.
- The didactic concept places students and their learning process at the center of planning.
- The objectives of the course, student activities, and the examination concept are interlinked.
- In the case of self-nomination, support from students is available.
- No teaching award has been given to the person within the last 3 years.
New to the process
A maximum of three prizes will be awarded in two categories: Prize for Good Teaching and Prize for Good Student Teaching. The Prize for Good Teaching is endowed with 3,000 euros and will be awarded to a maximum of two teachers (or teaching teams). The Prize for Good Student Teaching is endowed with 1,500 euros and will be awarded to one person (or teaching team).
Nominations are accepted via the nomination form. All university members (students, professors, staff) answer four questions and thereby nominate a course for the Award for Good Teaching. Nominations by students are given preferential treatment.
The Vice President for Teaching works with the Teaching Service Center to create a shortlist and requests a detailed description of the nominated teaching concept from the nominees.
Based on the teaching concepts, a jury (consisting of students, teachers, a member of the Office for Equality and Anti-Discrimination, and an external expert in didactics) selects the three best courses.
The award ceremony will take place as part of Teaching Day on June 16, 2026.
Nomination for the Teaching Award 2026
All members of the university (professors, staff and students) can submit their nominations from the 12th of January 2026 till 13th of February 2026 using this web form.
To use the web form, you need to log in with your HTW account.
LEHRGUT Interviews with award winners
Paragraphs and perspectives: a legal study tour
Michael Jaensch is travelling to Vietnam with students to introduce them to other perspectives on legal systems.
Exploratory teaching - how interaction creates good teaching
Dimitrios Zikos presents his teaching concept for ‘Microeconomics for Development’