The Berlin State Prize for Teaching Excellence in Higher Education aims to recognize educators at higher education institutions in Berlin who implement exceptional teaching concepts that are particularly innovative and student centered. The prize will be awarded in several categories across Berlin’s higher education institutions. A total of 60,000 euros in prize money will be distributed among the recipients. All public and state-recognized church-affiliated higher education institutions in Berlin are encouraged to submit a short list of four official nominees for the prize. 

The Berlin State Teaching Prize is an opportunity to celebrate high-quality teaching, and we encourage you to get involved.

Have you recently taught a course at Freie Universität that used teaching methods in a unique, engaging, and innovative way? Does it have the potential to be further developed and put into practice elsewhere? Then apply today! All instructors are welcome to apply, regardless of their university status group. There is a separate prize category for members of the student status group, for example, student tutors, so students are expressly invited to apply. The deadline for submitting applications is January 6, 2027.

Have you attended or heard of a course that you think is prizeworthy? Then please submit a nomination! All students and faculty members of Freie Universität are welcome to submit nominations – particularly students. The deadline for submitting nominations is November 30, 2026.

For more information on the prize, the application process, and to submit an application, please visit: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/dcat/berlin-prize-teaching-excellence/index.html The Dahlem Center for Academic Teaching (DCAT) is responsible for organizing and overseeing the internal application and selection process at Freie Universität Berlin. If you have any questions about the prize, please contact them at lehrpreis@dcat.fu-berlin.de.