Teaching Day facilitates dialogue between lecturers from all faculties, as well as between lecturers, staff and students, and provides fresh inspiration for teaching and learning. The programme also includes inaugural lectures by new lecturers, as well as the biennial award ceremony for the Teaching Award, Staff Award and Student Award.
The next Apprenticeship Day will take place on 14.10.2026 in parallel with the Career Day and is currently being planned. We will inform you on this page and by e-mail as soon as the first plans have been made. Please also keep an eye on your mailbox.
The Teaching Day on 15.10.2025 took place for the first time in combination with the Career Day. Teaching staff and employees were able to visit the Teaching Day, while their students were able to find out about internship semester, thesis and job opportunities at the Careers Day.
Dr. Patrick Albus gave a lecture on "Knowledge or prompting? The future of learning and testing in the age of AI." Dr. Tatjana Spaeth also presented "Teaching formats of the future". Prof. Dr. Anja Schmidt and Prof. Tobias Becker gave their inaugural lectures as new lecturers.
Teaching Day 2024: Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
Press release from the THU Communications Department dated December 12, 2024:
What does modern teaching look like? Every year, Teaching Day at the Technical University of Ulm (THU) is dedicated to this question. The Teaching Award demonstrates what good teaching can mean in practice. Awards for particularly dedicated staff and students underscored that a modern university thrives on the commitment of all THU members. Additionally, there were presentations on the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence, inaugural lectures by new professors, and ample opportunity for discussion.
A high degree of flexibility, individual support, and engaging videos. For this, Prof. Dr. Robert Schneider from the Faculty of Mechatronics and Medical Technology received this year’s THU Teaching Award. All THU members, including students, can submit nominations for the award. The decision is made by a selection committee composed of representatives from faculty, staff, and students.
New this year: Particularly dedicated university staff members could also be nominated for an award. Michael Bartsch from the Institute of Design and CA Technology and Michael Schneider from the Institute of Medical Technology and Mechatronics received the Staff Award, sponsored by the proTHU Alumni and Support Association. As staff members, they are committed to their institutes and to enhancing the student experience.
The Student Award, funded by the Student Council, honors particularly dedicated students. This year, the award for exceptional dedication went to Ben Schwarzenbach.
Insights and Discussion on Artificial Intelligence
How can artificial intelligence improve teaching—and what risks does it pose at the same time? This was the focus of various keynote presentations. Experts in the fields of AI and higher education provided information on new AI tools that can, for example, ease the burden of event planning. Legal issues, such as the use of AI in exam situations, were also addressed.
During the subsequent discussion, participants were able to identify the topics related to AI that concern them and exchange ideas on these issues.
“Artificial intelligence is currently making its way into many areas of our lives and is also changing the way we teach and learn. That is why we at THU are intensively engaged with these topics, which also represent an important field of research at our university,” explains Prof. Dr. Jens Bihr, Vice Rector for Teaching, regarding the choice of this year’s focus.
New Professors Introduce Themselves
As part of their inaugural lectures, newly appointed professors at THU traditionally introduce themselves on Teaching Day and provide insight into their teaching and research areas. Prof. Dr. Fleiner spoke about physical therapy, while Prof. Dr. Bähre gave an overview of his topics in the field of marketing.
December 12, 2024 12:00 AM
With educational activities and a Christmas market with a twist
Press release from the THU Communications Department dated December 19, 2023:
Ulm, December 20, 2023 – This year’s Teaching Day on December 14 at the Technical University of Ulm (THU) was held under the theme “Diversity.” How can diversity be harnessed and promoted? This was the topic of the presentations on new didactic approaches in university teaching. Insights into student life at THU were provided by presentations on the student racing team Einstein Motorsport and on the path from undergraduate studies to a doctorate. In the evening, the THU also presented the DAAD Award, which honors international students for outstanding academic achievements and volunteer work. At a “somewhat different Christmas market,” the faculties and laboratories provided insights into their work.
The annual Teaching Day serves as a forum for faculty, students, and staff at the THU to learn about and discuss pedagogical developments and modern teaching methods. In addition to academic presentations, there was plenty of room for entertainment and interaction, such as a Science Slam and a “somewhat different Christmas market,” which allowed attendees to broaden their horizons in a festive atmosphere. Over mulled wine and grilled sausage, the faculties displayed exhibits from their labs, ranging from robots to a functional logistics model to Hololens glasses.
DAAD Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Social Engagement
The DAAD Prize was also awarded during the event. The prize, endowed with 1,000 euros, honors exceptional academic achievements and outstanding social or intercultural engagement among international students. The award is intended to highlight the enrichment that international students bring to the higher education landscape.
This year, the prize goes to Adam Nafie from Egypt. In addition to his studies in the bachelor’s program “Computational Science and Engineering,” Mr. Nafie served as a math tutor for many semesters. The 21-year-old has already honed his teaching skills as a volunteer learning coach in Egypt for the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Since the summer semester of 2021, he has been contributing his wealth of experience to the THU.
Prof. Dr. Harald Groß, who presented the award, explained the rationale for the honor: “As a math tutor, Mr. Nafie has helped many students successfully pass their exams. This is also attributable to his teaching skills and his personality. This is a remarkable achievement, especially given the challenging conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Text: Ulm University of Technology
December 19, 2023, 6:30 p.m.
The Teaching Day on 15.12.2022 started with gingerbread, coffee and punch. In addition to the inaugural lectures by
was awarded the DAAD Prize by Vice-Rector Marianne von Schwerin. The university teaching prize was also awarded.
The Science Slam took place before the conclusion at the buffet.
The first Teaching Day at Ulm University of Applied Sciences took place on December 9, 2021.
If you have any suggestions, requests or ideas for the Teaching Day, please contact the IHD or the Prorectorate for Studies and Teaching - even if you would like to present your teaching concept!
Institute for University Didactics: ihd(at)thu.de
Prorectorate for Studies and Teaching: prorektorat-lehre(at)thu.de