Prize for Good Academic Teaching

Congratulations!

On 26 June, the Hans Mühlenhoff Prize for Good Academic Teaching was awarded by Osnabrück University and the Hans Mühlenhoff Foundation. 23 names were on the list, and a student jury, together with the University of Osnabrück’s Standing Working Group on Teaching, made the final decision.

First place went to Prof. Dr. Lilian Weber, who has held the “Cognitive Modeling” professorship at the University of Osnabrück since August 2025. “From our perspective, she embodies many of the qualities that characterize outstanding academic teaching: up-to-date research, didactic clarity, the promotion of independent thinking, and an exceptional ability to inspire students to engage in research and actively involve them in scientific processes,” according to the students’ statement explaining their nomination. As an outstanding example, the students cite the establishment of a laboratory for transcranial focused ultrasound research: “The fact that Prof. Dr. Weber does not view the establishment of such a laboratory solely as a research project, but actively integrates it into her teaching, demonstrates her high standards for academic education.”

Second prize went to Prof. Dr. Helena Olfert, who has held the Chair of German as a Second Language (DaZ) and Language Education at the University of Osnabrück since 2024. In addition to the clear and well-thought-out structure of her courses, the students praised the fact that course content is consistently linked to current social and educational policy developments, particularly in the areas of migration, multilingualism, and education. “Particularly noteworthy is the project seminar ‘Language Learning Assistance Osnabrück,’ in which students actively design DaZ lessons at schools while receiving intensive guidance from Prof. Dr. Olfert,” the students said.

Third place this year went to Noah Kahmen, a lecturer at the Institute of Geography. The students were particularly impressed by his seminars on geography didactics. As an example, they cited, among others, the seminar “Game-Based Learning in Geography Classes,” in which students analyzed the importance of games in the classroom and developed their own educational games. “In general, Mr. Kahmen’s enthusiasm for his subject is evident in his seminars as well,” the students said.