Sustainable apprenticeship honored: Studied Oecologicum wins 10,000 euros price!

Humboldt University in Berlin in 2024 gave the award for good teaching to the innovative program "Studium Oecologicum" on sustainability.
Humboldt University in Berlin in 2024 gave the award for good teaching to the innovative program "Studium Oecologicum" on sustainability. (Symbolbild/NAG)

Sustainable apprenticeship honored: Studied Oecologicum wins 10,000 euros price!

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Deutschland - On June 5, 2025, the "Prize for Good Teaching at the Humboldt University in Berlin" was awarded in 2024. Under the motto "sustainable teaching and learning", the award went to the concept of "Studium Oecologicum". This innovative program, which was awarded a prize money of 10,000 euros, is open to students of all disciplines and aims to convey sound expertise in sustainability issues within one year. It should be emphasized that the award not gave a single person or event, but the concept as a whole, which underlines the importance of the collective work of the students.

As part of the “Studium Oecologicum”, the participants have the opportunity to acquire a certificate. In order to receive this certificate, students have to complete at least one basic course and two themed courses. In addition, at least 12 credit points are required. The courses include topics such as sustainable nutrition, sponge city, justice and the role of democracies and autocrats in the climate crisis. Excellent lecturers from environmental research are invited to design interdisciplinary seminars and integrate innovative exam formats such as posters, podcasts and portfolios.

certificate programs for sustainability

The University of Tübingen also offers an extensive certificate program that aims at the development of sustainable key competencies. Students who attend several courses of “studying Oecologicum” can qualify for this. It is necessary to complete at least one basic course and two themed courses - together bring these courses between 3 and 6 credit points. Performance evidence from other universities, such as the Virtual Academy Bremen, can also be recognized, which promotes interdisciplinary cooperation.

Furthermore, a certificate of well -founded knowledge of sustainability is issued, which is given to students when they graduated from study. The processing time of the application can take up to four weeks, which is why it is advisable to take care of it at an early stage. After applying, information about the completion is made by email, but it should be noted that the student email address can no longer be reached after the Exametriculation.

Education for sustainable development

At the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich (LMU), another certificate program was launched, which is aimed at the needs of teacher students. The goal of the "Education for Sustainable Development in Teaching" program is to prepare future teachers for the challenges of sustainable development. As part of this program, the students deepen their knowledge of sustainability from a natural and humanities perspective.

The program comprises seven modules with a total of 45 ECTs and begins in the winter semester. The courses come from various faculties and are organized at the Geography Department. For LMU teaching students, this further training is free of charge, which offers an additional incentive to actively deal with topics of sustainable development.

In summary, it can be seen that the universities in Germany are increasingly relying on sustainable educational approaches. The awarding of the prize for good teaching to the "Studium Oecologicum" and the diverse certificate programs underline the relevance of sustainable education in the academic landscape. The initiatives help to ensure that students not only gain knowledge, but also develop practical skills for the challenges of the future.

For more information on these programs and prices, on the pages of the Humboldt-University in Berlin , University of Tübingen and ludwig-maximilians-university Munich

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OrtHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Deutschland
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