University of Passau receives award for innovative teaching program!

University of Passau receives award for innovative teaching program!

The TEFE A+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP) recently received the prestigious PROFFORMANCE International Higher Education Teacher Award 2024/25. This award, presented at an online awards ceremony on June 4, 2025, recognizes the excellence of teaching practices and the commitment of the TEFE A+ Consortium to the internationalization of teacher education. Six European partner universities are involved in this project, including the University of Passau, which plays a key role in the practical implementation of the program, which offers international exchange and networking opportunities for teachers and prospective teachers.

Dr. Helena Lohrová, the project manager, commented positively on the award and emphasized the importance of such initiatives. “This award is an important milestone for our consortium and honors the creativity in teacher education and internationalization that we have developed over the last five years,” she said.

Focus on internationalization

The TEFE A+ program aims to integrate the internationalization of teacher training directly into practice. By combining digital and physical intercultural learning components, the program creates a practice-oriented model specifically designed for aspiring English teachers in the European Union. The idea is to build a bridge between different educational partners through International Teaching Practice (ITP) and to offer students valuable experiences that will benefit their future careers.

The initiative is part of the Erasmus+ KA220-HED project and is expected to run until 2026. The consortium plans to actively involve students, educators and mentors in the EU in the program activities. These activities include intensive training events and the creation of internships in international contexts.

Higher education in an international context

The internationalization of teacher training has recently become more important in Germany. Over 200,000 students are enrolled in teacher training programs and there is growing interest in preparing for cultural diversity in everyday school life. Universities are increasingly recognizing the need to internationalize their teacher training programs in order to offer their graduates the best conditions for a successful professional career.

An expert discussion that took place in Bonn on February 11, 2015 brought important facets of this discussion to the table. Holger Burckhart, Vice President of the University Rectors' Conference (HRK), called for structural changes and a change in mentality in order to promote the internationalization of teacher training. Successful examples from other European countries were mentioned that could serve as role models.

The university involved in such initiatives not only benefits from international exchange, but also promotes the continuing education of its teachers through access to resources such as the TEFE Framework, which supports collaborative international learning.