Although Mario Liebensteiner and Katharina Oft’s research priorities could not be further apart, they have one thing in common: Their teaching is outstanding.
When the Dean of Studies congratulated him on his award before a department meeting, Mario Liebensteiner was completely taken aback. He spent a long time wondering what the award was for, even searching for clues in his emails. But he didn’t find anything there either. Katharina Oft had a similar experience. She also received completely unexpected congratulations in March. No wonder, since neither the research associate at the Chair of Classical Philology nor assistant professor of Energy Markets and Energy Systems Analysis applied for an award. Nevertheless, they were honored: with the “Prize for Excellence in Teaching.”
Every year, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts honors instructors at Bavarian universities and colleges for exceptional achievements in knowledge transfer. What makes it special: It is an award ultimately given by the students of FAU. The two candidates whom the university president nominates to the ministry are selected by the students’ representatives.
Awakening self-motivation
And they deserve it. For both Katharina Oft and Mario Liebensteiner, good, practical, and innovative teaching that is oriented toward the needs of their students is a given. “I want students to receive an education that inspires and encourages them to continue engaging with the topics,” says Mario Liebensteiner. Awakening self-motivation in his students has become his mission.
He is always happy to try new approaches to achieve this. He conveys complex topics – such as international electricity pricing or the effects of phasing out nuclear power – in an understandable way, seasoned with a pinch of humor, including in videos on his YouTube channel. What originally started as a hobby during a vacation has now become a permanent part of his teaching. His goal: To present research and teaching content in such a way that it is not only interesting for scientists, but for everyone who wants to learn more about his areas of expertise.
“The students help shape the seminars themselves. I make a rough plan in advance of what I would like to do, and then discuss it with the students at the beginning of the semester.”
Katharina Oft
And in the seminar room? For both Mario Liebensteiner and Katharina Oft, it is important that, above all, the students have their say and help shape the seminars themselves. This happens in group discussions as well as in presentations, where students present teaching content that they have previously prepared together. Both of them see themselves primarily as experts who know their field very well and whom students can “pick the brains of” in every respect. Creating a learning environment where students feel valued and have the courage to ask all the questions they may have is equally important to both award recipients. They also want to show students that researchers are just regular people and use the same methods the students are currently learning. For Katharina Oft, it is especially important to address the individual needs of her students: “The students help shape the seminars themselves. I make a rough plan in advance of what I would like to do, and then discuss it with the students at the beginning of the semester.”
In the end, Katharina Oft and Mario Liebensteiner want their students to remember their time at university as inspiring, with teaching that challenged and supported them. This went so far that Katharina Oft could not take part in the awards ceremony as she was on a field trip to Rome with some students.
Further information on energy markets can be found on Mario Liebensteiner’s YouTube channel:
Michael Kniess
This article is part of the FAU Magazine
The third issue of the FAU Magazine #People is once again all about the people who make our FAU one of the best universities in the world. The examples in this issue show how lively and diverse our research is, the commitment of our students, and the work in the scientific support areas.
Highlight is certainly the new research cluster “Transforming Human Rights.” Or you can follow our scientists into laboratories and workshops, where they make potatoes climate-resistant, teach robots social behavior, or reconstruct ancient ships and cannons. At FAU, students are developing vertical take-off aircraft or impressing with outstanding performances at the Paralympics. And let’s not forget the people who work at our university or remain closely connected as FAU alumni. Visit the Children’s University with them or watch a TV series with an FAU alumna and Grimme Award winner.
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