Recognizing Excellence in Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation Excellence and Innovation in Teaching and Learning: Heidelberg University Honors Dedicated University Teachers and Forward-Looking Teaching Projects
Heidelberg, 9 March 2026 – In a festive event, Heidelberg University recognized outstanding achievements in teaching. Twenty-three teachers from Ruperto Carola received the prestigious Baden-Württemberg Certificate for Teaching and Learning at University Level, offered by the department for Study Skills & Teaching of the heiSKILLS Competence and Language Centre. In addition, three innovative teaching projects were honored for securing additional funding for innovative teaching at Heidelberg University in 2025. During the event, certificates for the new heiSKILLS and HSE Fellowships were also presented, giving university teachers the opportunity to develop and test new formats for teaching, learning, and assessment.
To obtain the Baden-Württemberg Certificate, teachers complete a comprehensive, modular qualification program covering a wide range of topics: From the fundamentals of teaching and learning, through the design of activating and inclusive teaching and learning arrangements, digitally supported teaching, and the use of AI in teaching. International academics have the opportunity to complete the program, including individual coaching, in English. With 2.968 graduates nationwide since 2001 - 957 of whom are from Heidelberg University - the program underscores its role as a national model. In 2025, a total of 136 university teachers successfully completed the program. Silke Hertel presented the 23 Heidelberg graduates with their Baden-Württemberg Certificates and expressed her thanks on behalf of the entire Rectorate for their strong commitment to teaching. She noted that this commitment is only partially reflected in the approximately 200 hours of pedagogical training: “I am confident that you will continue to enrich teaching at our university. I also hope that you will act as advocates for the qualification program within your departments and remain connected to our community of practice in the long term,” said Hertel.
Before the certificates were presented, the Vice-Rector recognized three innovative teaching projects through which colleagues at Heidelberg University had secured additional funding for teaching in the past year: The “heiSPARK” project (Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, ; funding amount: €4,042,176; funding period: 2025–2031), the joint project “EduNEXUS BW” (European Social Fund; funding amount: €164,607; funding period: 2025–2028), and the project “Teacher Academy for Media Literacy (TAMeLi)” (Erasmus+; funding for the subproject based at HSE: €85,748; funding period: 2026–2029).
To round off the program, Silke Hertel presented the certificates for the new heiSKILLS and HSE Fellowships, which were announced for the first time in autumn 2025. These fellowships provide teaching staff with support and resources to develop innovative teaching, learning, and assessment formats and to test them in practice. This year, the heiSKILLS Fellowships are awarded in two thematic areas: the integration of AI into teaching is being supported by 10 fellowships, whilst 4 fellowships support the creation and use of Open Educational Resources. The 5 HSE Fellowships focusing on “Carrer Orientation in Teacher Education” specifically support courses that help students understand the relevance of their studies to their future work as school teachers.
In her keynote address, Silke Hertel emphasized Heidelberg University’s commitment to fostering enthusiasm and appreciation for teaching, strengthening its importance, and establishing instruments that enable innovation in teaching. “For we do not understand commitment to good teaching as an add-on. It is at the very heart of our understanding of excellence, of research orientation in this field of activity, and of our responsibility towards society and future generations,” Hertel stated.
The ceremony concluded with a small reception and lively discussions on the further development of teaching on the rooftop terrace of the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim.