FHD honours outstanding teaching and supervision for the first time

As part of its graduation ceremony on September 25, 2026, FHD – University of Applied Science presented its Teaching and Student Support Award for the first time. Dr. Diana Vogel-Blaschka received first place, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. Chóngliàng Zhòng second place, and Vincent Schiller M.A. third place. The award was accompanied by a cash prize sponsored by Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden.

Initiated by President Dr. habil. Heike Zimmermann-Timm, the award puts the quality of teaching and student support at FHD more firmly in the spotlight. It recognizes outstanding commitment while also encouraging lecturers to further develop their teaching and experiment with new formats.

"Good teaching is the heart of a university. We want to make it visible and show our appreciation, while also encouraging people to rethink teaching again and again. Especially in the age of AI, digital learning opportunities and online teaching, we need formats that create real added value and inspire students to learn at university. Higher education must be a place where personal interaction, academic discourse and collaborative learning make a difference," says Zimmermann-Timm.

What makes the Teaching and Student Support Award special is that the students decided which lecturers should be nominated for outstanding teaching and support. In June, all FHD students were invited to nominate lecturers and explain their choices. A total of 17 lecturers were nominated.

The nominations focused on five dimensions of quality: innovation in teaching, student orientation and support, practical relevance and knowledge transfer, academic quality, and sustainable impact. Both the quality of the individual statements and the breadth of student nominations were taken into account.

Dr. Diana Vogel-Blaschka received first place. Her nomination particularly demonstrated how academic excellence, innovative teaching methods, practical relevance and individual support can be successfully combined.

Dr. Dr. Chóngliàng Zhòng received second place for his strong connection between research, practice and knowledge transfer. Students' experiences from companies and internships are incorporated into his teaching, academically reflected upon and applied to specific questions. His teaching thus promotes independent and practice-oriented thinking.

Vincent Schiller received third place, particularly in recognition of his student-centered approach and personal support. Students especially highlighted his individual support, accessibility and constructive guidance. The strong response from students underlines the high level of appreciation for his support.

Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden supported the first presentation of the Teaching and Student Support Award as well as the recognition of the best Bachelor's and Master's graduates of the year.

"Good education is an investment in the future of our region. This includes outstanding students as well as lecturers who share their knowledge, support young people and encourage them to develop their own ideas. That is why we are very pleased to support these awards presented by Fachhochschule Dresden," says Jan Book of Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden.

With the Teaching and Student Support Award, FHD aims to highlight outstanding commitment and provide further impetus for the continuous development of teaching in the future.