PHILOSOPHY
Shaping the future in a complex, interconnected and changing world requires well-educated and responsible decision-makers. A good education stimulates interest in independent thinking and the development of individual skills.
Responsibility
Responsible education sets a good example and conveys that knowledge must be acquired and can be fun. However, the questions and answers asked are subject to constant change and must therefore always be re-examined.
Only this knowledge and the development of an awareness of the consequences of decisions make it possible to take responsibility for both one's own actions and the sustainable development of society.
The anticipation of future challenges requires looking back and forth as the basis for sound planning and anticipating of future challenges and measures.
Challenges
For teaching and further education, this results in the challenge of separating the essential from the insignificant and enriching the existing practice with new insights and innovations. Translated consecutively, this leads to the need to constantly update teaching content and didactic instruments, as well as to invite third parties to exchange ideas in teaching and research. In order to meet the different interests and requirements of the students in terms of research and knowledge-based teaching, a differentiated approach is required. Ensuring a solid basic knowledge for all students is just as important as the responsible promotion of particularly interested people in their future development.
Appreciation
An appreciative approach to colleagues and students, as well as an interest in current professional and social issues, facilitate knowledge transfer and mutual exchange. Previous teaching practice has shown that a presentation of all participants at the beginning of the course was particularly fruitful in order to include their expectations, questions and wishes. Furthermore, it was possible to establish a connection between the ideas and actual requirements of professional practice. This personal approach and practical examples generate a higher level of interest and motivation as well as better learning success. In addition to the tools for assessing learning performance, personal feedback is particularly important to support learning progress. In addition, it has proven useful to encourage interested students to contribute their own observations and considerations.
Growth
After almost two decades in science, it is still encouraging to meet interesting people, to discover new skills and to take something with you from each personal interaction. A corresponding effort for the design of publications and lectures is accordingly a sign of appreciation for this exchange. Interest in others means that they are also interested, which can enable personal friendships and long-term fruitful cooperation. A particular challenge and awarding experience have been to acquire knowledge and methods from other specialist areas. Ultimately, personal and professional development depends on a basic curiosity, the will to change, and to further the growth of others and yourself.
