In the short time since it was first held in October 2011, DIES LEGENDI, the Day of Teaching, has become a permanent fixture in the academic calendar at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). “The DIES LEGENDI is the hub for contacts and information about teaching at our university,” says Prof. Dr. Georg Krausch, President of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. “It is our platform where outstanding achievements in teaching are made visible and the lecturers responsible are honored for their outstanding and often extraordinary commitment.” With the DIES LEGENDI, JGU puts the focus on academic teaching and teaching staff, thus also expressing the high value it places on teaching alongside research.

“We are always amazed at the ideas developed and implemented by the teaching staff in the various subjects. The DIES LEGENDI provides many impulses that reach far beyond the respective subject area and can also be a source of inspiration for other fields,” said Krausch at the award ceremony for the winners of the Teaching Prize of the (University) Senate of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, who are usually selected on the basis of a nomination and course evaluation surveys.

Around 4,150 academics, including 540 professors, are active in research and teaching at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The Gutenberg Teaching Council (GTC) is the organizer of the annual DIES LEGENDI. It was established at the beginning of 2011 and primarily fulfills strategic tasks for the design and further development of teaching and course structures at JGU. In addition, the GLK initiates measures for the grant of teaching and the further development of academic teaching skills.