The University Pearl of the Year 2023 goes to BTU

In October 2023, BTU won the Stifterverband's University Pearl of the Month on the topic of "Rethinking teacher training" for its concept to establish and implement the innovative primary school teaching study programme. On January 16 and 17, 2024, the twelve university pearls from January to December were voted for the University Pearl of the Year 2023 via SMS voting. With 24.82 percent, the BTU project won the 24-hour voting by a large margin and will receive prize money of 3,000 euros. Second place went to the "Back to School" project at the University of Vechta with 17.01% of the votes. The "International Teacher Education" project from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main secured third place with 12.38% of the votes.

Prof. Dr. Peer Schmidt, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at BTU, emphasizes: "The joy of winning the University Pearl of the Year is huge at BTU. I would like to thank the Stifterverband for the great forum of this year's "Rethinking Teacher Education" award and especially the many university members, cooperation partners and supporters outside the university who have accompanied us so intensively during the development phase of the study programme and who have now also supported us in the final vote. Receiving the University Pearl of the Year award is a strong motivation for us to continue making progress in the development of the innovative primary school teaching study programme."

The entire theoretical course is accompanied by integrative practical weeks, whereby the disciplines involved in teacher training work closely together. The central point of orientation is the holistic view of the child's educational processes.

In order to counter the massive shortage of teachers, BTU and the state of Brandenburg are trying a completely new approach throughout Germany with the primary school teaching study programme. Students are taught theoretical and pedagogical knowledge in learning workshops at the university as a foundation for their intended profession as a teacher. The so-called practical school studies are an integrative component of the course and are reflected upon during the semester. They offer a direct insight into the school's fields of activity. In this way, students learn the essential skills for working with primary school children, such as motivation or enthusiasm for understanding and applying in a particularly practical way. The first two semester-accompanying internships in the Bachelor's degree program include weekly observations and discussions with teachers and pupils as well as individually conducted teaching units. The third internship deals with educational science or inclusion pedagogical issues. The dual Master's degree course, which will start for the first time in the winter semester 2026/27, is a first in Germany.

The Stifterverband jury gave the following reasons for awarding the BTU project the University Pearl of the Month for October 2023, which was the basis for the current vote for University Pearl of the Year:
"It is very attractive for students to work in schools from the very first semester. The Bachelor's degree course that has now been launched will be followed by a practice-integrated Master's degree course in the same way from the winter semester 2026/27. It will then be the first dual Master's degree course in the teaching profession. This concept is contemporary and exemplary for further bold approaches in teacher training."

Find out more about the BTU's primary school teacher training study programme led by Prof. Dr. Juliane Noack Napoles, the winning project 2023:
https://www.b-tu.de/lehramt-primarstufe-bed

Every month,the Stifterverband honors innovative projects at universities. The Hochschulperle campaign aims to raise public awareness of these exemplary projects. The Stifterverband is a community of around 3,500 committed people, companies and organizations from business, science and civil society. The aim of its work is to rethink and reshape education and science in order to sustainably strengthen society's innovative power. As a central driving force, it analyzes current challenges, funds model projects and facilitates their dissemination in diverse networks. It connects business, science and civil society, develops ideas together and initiates political reforms. In its work, it focuses on two fields of action: Education and skills and Collaborative research and innovation.
https://www.stifterverband.org/

Contacts:
Stifterverband
Peggy Groß
Press Officer
T 030 322982-530
presse(at)stifterverband.de
www.stifterverband.org

Primary School Teacher Training
Prof. Dr. Juliane Noack Napoles
Directorof Studies
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU)
T 0355 5818 414
noacknap(at)b-tu.de