Berlin State Teaching Prize: a spotlight on excellent university teaching

Brain City Berlin

On 1 July 2026, the Berlin State Prize for Excellence in University Teaching was awarded for the first time. An independent jury of students, experts in higher education didactics, teaching quality and university development, as well as teaching staff, selected the winners and nominees for the audience prize. Their courses stand out for their didactic quality, student-centredness, transfer potential and innovation, an enrichment for Brain City Berlin.

At the specialist conference "Excellent University Teaching" at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT), outstanding and innovative teaching achievements at Berlin's universities were recognised. The prize aims to make excellent teaching visible, highlight its importance and provide impetus for further development. A total of 60,000 euros in prize money was awarded, earmarked for the further development of teaching and student concerns.

The winners

Prize category 1: Teaching foundational knowledge and skills (15,000 euros)

Prof. Dr. Andreas Modler (Berlin University of Applied Sciences, BHT) – "Physics 1: Mechanics and Physics 2: Mechanical Waves and Thermodynamics" (Bachelor's in Medical Physics)

Physics with a click? Mechanics reimagined. In these two modules, dry theory is replaced by maximum interaction. Instead of passive lectures, students encounter a modern mix: Just-in-Time Teaching lets them prepare flexibly online and shape the course directly through their feedback. In class, peer instruction via clicker voting and lively tutorials create moments of insight in small groups. Typical misconceptions are not penalised but worked through together to build genuine understanding. The result is measurably above-average learning outcomes and a motivating portfolio assessment that rewards consistent engagement.

Prize category 2: Deepening, applying and transferring knowledge and skills (15,000 euros)

Dr. Jannis Julien Grimm (Freie Universität Berlin) – "Talking Violence" (Bachelor's in Political Science)

"Talking Violence" is a transfer-oriented undergraduate seminar on the relationship between language and violence, approached both at the level of content and as a meta-level inquiry. Students examine the material, symbolic and structural dimensions of violence through case studies, then use this groundwork to produce a collaborative podcast series. Topic teams write scripts for individual episodes, conduct guided interviews with subject experts, and edit the conversations for publication. The seminar builds research, moderation and interviewing skills, makes the production of knowledge tangible, and raises students' awareness of responsible science communication on the subject of violence.

The resulting podcast is available online.

Prize category 3: Independent generation of knowledge and skills (15,000 euros)

Prof. Sebastian Quack (Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts) – "Spielklub: Artistic Research" (Master's in Play and Object)

The "Spielklub: Artistic Research" seminar functions as a mobile laboratory that explores play as a fundamental cultural practice and expands knowledge across diverse forms of play. What makes it exceptional is the interlinking of theory, urban fieldwork and collaborative publication practice. Students engage with sociological and decolonial theories of play, then independently design excursions into real Berlin play spaces, from casinos to live-action role play to AI installations. As researchers, they independently gain access to communities beyond traditional cultural venues. Their findings feed into a multimodal zine that, through graphic expertise, audio tracks and tactile variety, elevates the documentation itself into an artistic object.

More information

Prize category 4: Student-led teaching (10,000 euros)

Josephine Lang and Lilli Johanna Schlünz (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) – "Studium Oecologicum" (interdisciplinary elective module)

The Studium Oecologicum (StudOec) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is a long-standing, student-led teaching format on socio-ecological transformation, which grew out of the "Nachhaltigkeitsbüro" initiative. It enables students from all disciplines to reflect critically on sustainability and develop practical skills. The programme combines theory and practice across two courses: the lecture series "Der Grüne Faden", with weekly talks by experts, and the project tutorial "Studieren Transformieren", in which knowledge is actively translated into projects, including helping to shape future teaching. What sets it apart is that students develop essential design competencies and become change agents, carrying sustainable ideas far beyond the university and into society.

More information

Audience prize (5,000 euros)

The audience prize was contested until shortly before the ceremony. It was ultimately won by Dr. Tharusan Thevathasan from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin for the "Students Teach Students Academy" project. In realistic simulations, medical students train to respond quickly, safely and as a team in situations such as heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, circulatory shock and resuscitation.

The specialist conference "Excellent University Teaching"

Opening remarks were given by Christian Hingst, Head of the Universities Department at the Senate Administration for Science, Health and Care, and Dr. Julia Neuhaus, President of the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT), on the state of university teaching in Berlin. A keynote followed from Prof. Dr. Frank Ziegele of the CHE (Centre for Higher Education Development), who noted that excellent teaching is the achievement of the individual lecturer, but is made possible by the surrounding conditions: recognition of teaching, its strategic anchoring in the institution's profile, and appropriate organisational, communication, incentive, career and support structures. Talks, workshops, TeachSlams and a publicly accessible programme of exhibits, information stands and demonstrations on the world of teaching rounded out the day in Brain City Berlin.

Further reading:

Berlin State Teaching Prize

Programme overview

© M. Gasch
© M. Gasch
Dr. Ina Czyborra, Senator for Science, presents the Audience Award to Dr. Tharusan Thevathasan for his project “Students Teach Students Academy”