Teaching award for the Studium Oecologicum course "Rebellion for the future"

Press release from 15.10.2023

Once again, two lecturers have been awarded the "Higher Education for a Sustainable Development" teaching prize for a course from the Studium Oecologicum curriculum at the University of Tübingen: Nils Aguilar and Paul Hofman received the prize for their interdisciplinary course on agriculture and agroforestry systems. The ESD Teaching Prize is awarded annually by the Center for Education for Sustainable Development at Heidelberg University of Education and is endowed with 5000 euros. The prize is awarded to university lecturers who implement education for sustainable development (ESD) in their teaching in an exemplary manner.

The award ceremony took place on November 6, 2023. The transformative teaching concept of the course "Rebelling for the Future: Regenerative Agriculture and Agroforestry Systems" impressed the jury on several levels. In her laudatory speech, jury member Dr. Nicole Eschbach emphasized:

"Whatwas particularly impressive for us as a jury was how interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches and many different perspectives are intertwined in this course. With regard to the methods and the underlying concepts, the course takes a well-founded approach [...] and is integrated into the concept of socio-ecological transformation and the real-world laboratory approach. Playful components, open space formats and the backcasting method are used. In terms of ESD, the content is not only about the link to several of the Sustainable Development Goals [...]; it is also primarily about promoting skills such as the ability to participate, reflect and innovate."

"Rebellion for the future" begins with a theoretical part, which is largely organized by the students with keynote speeches. Discussions are held in groups. The students then spend three days on the Sonnenwald farm in the Black Forest, a teaching farm for regenerative agriculture, and gain insights into practice and agricultural research. The feedback from one course participant shows that the implementation of the teaching concept is also convincing: "Paul and Nils are brilliant lecturers who have the answers to a wide range of questions thanks to their technical expertise and they manage to create a learning atmosphere at eye level, which is often neglected in everyday university life".

Last year, the prize already went to Tübingen, to a Studium Ecologicum course: Dr. Birgit Hoinle, Raquel Cayapa and Matzel Xander took first place with their "Fair Chocolate on Air" course.

Since 2009, the Studium Oecologicum at the University of Tübingen has been an interdisciplinary course on sustainable development for students of all disciplines with a nationwide model character. It is designed at the Competence Center for Sustainable Development (at the IZEW) and carried out in close cooperation with the Department of Interdisciplinary Education and Professional Orientation as part of the Transdisciplinary Course Program.