Outstanding teaching: University of Basel presents Teaching Excellence Awards 2025

The Vice President for Teaching, Prof. Dr. Thomas Grob, presented the Teaching Excellence Awards at a ceremony in the Kollegienhaus on 19 May and conveyed the University’s congratulations and thanks to the award winners and other nominees.

Participation in this year’s Teaching Excellence Awards was higher than ever before: 801 nominations were received for the five categories, spread across 292 lecturers from all seven faculties. The Teaching Excellence Awards were presented for the sixth time in 2025, and for the second time, students working in teaching were also able to be nominated.

In absolute terms, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Science, and the Faculty of Medicine once again received the most nominations. In relation to the number of students, the Faculty of Theology, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Business and Economics received the most nominations.

No other award category received as many nominations as the “Engaging Courses” category, which was newly introduced in 2025. The finalists included many who appeal to various students and are particularly inspiring and motivating. The winner is Prof. Dr. Andrea Gabriele Hofmann, Professor of Church History at the Faculty of Theology.

Made up of members of the skuba board, the jury particularly emphasized the lecturer’s highly appreciative attitude and communication, her diverse teaching methods and her ability to create lively spaces for joint learning and discussion. The nominators particularly appreciated the openness with which the lecturer engaged with students’ suggestions and ideas, as well as her commitment to fostering exchange across all academic degrees. Her inclusive nature and ability to simultaneously challenge and support students and give them the freedom to help shape their learning path were also emphasized.

Shortlist “Engaging Courses”

• Dr. Christiane Büttner, Postdoc, Faculty of Psychology, Social Psychology
• Dr. Matthias Müller Krähenbühl, Research assistant and lecturer, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Egyptology

Introduced in 2025, the new “Cooperation and Interaction” category focuses on lecturers who design particularly interactive courses and specifically promote cooperation between students. The prize is awarded to Prof. Dr. Nadine Amsler, Assistant Professor of Early Modern History at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The jury – consisting of members of the student groups at the University of Basel – particularly emphasized the lecturer’s ability to organize very large seminar groups in a lively manner. Through the varied use of teaching methods such as group work, panel discussions, mind maps, and one-to-one discussions, she succeeded in actively involving the students in the lessons, regardless of their previous knowledge. The nominators emphasized the lecturer’s excellent personal support and quick, high-quality feedback. They particularly appreciated the sensitive and attentive approach in which the lecturer responded to every student and created an inclusive and supportive learning environment..

Shortlist “Collaboration and Interaction”

• Dr. Christiane Büttner, Postdoc, Faculty of Psychology, Social Psychology
• Prof. Dr. Andrea Gabriele Hofmann, Faculty of Theology, Church History

The “Supporting Learning” category is awarded to assistants and students who meet their (fellow) students where they are in their learning process and help to build bridges between the subject matter and their peers. This year’s award goes to Janoah Hartmann, a Bachelor’s student and mathematics tutor at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Consisting of members of the student groups, the jury praised his commitment, his personal support of the students, and his genuine interest in their individual learning success. The nominators appreciated the tutor’s ability to bring all students up to the same level with great consideration for different prior knowledge and learning speeds and to shape teaching as a joint process. They praised his helpful summaries and targeted feedback. During the lessons, he successfully used Kahoot surveys, QR codes for anonymous questions and a visual traffic-light system for live feedback on understanding the content discussed.

Shortlist «Supporting Learning»

• Dr. Daniel Höhmann, Postdoc and Assistant, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Political Science
• Audric-Charles Wannaz, PhD student, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ancient History

A considerable number of nominations were received this year for those members of the University of Basel who help to make studying a joyful and smooth experience. This year’s winner in the “Service to Teaching” award category is Dr. Julia Büchele, Coordinator of the Graduate School of Social Sciences (G3S) at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The jury for this award category was made up of the deans of studies from all faculties at the University of Basel. The nominators particularly appreciated the coordinator’s commitment to supporting doctoral students, both through her competent and empathetic advice and the planning and organization of events such as regular writing days, workshops and coaching sessions. Her contribution to the networking of doctoral students and the development of a didactically well-thought-out curriculum that focuses on the needs and perspectives of doctoral students was highlighted.

Shortlist “Service to Teaching”

• Robin Legendre, Master’s student and tutor in human medicine, board member of “Young Sonographers Basel” / Faculty of Medicine
• Andreas Maurer, Lecturer in Prosthodontics and Dental Technician, Faculty of Medicine / University Center for Dental Medicine UZB

Further information

You can find further information on the award categories, photographic impressions of the award ceremony, and an overview of previous years' teaching awards on the Teaching Excellence Awards website.