Communications and Marketing
H-BRS again in the final for Best Machine Hall
What’s it all about?
The university prize awarded by the German Engineering Association (VDMA) honours concepts that improve the quality, principles and quality assurance of teaching and that enable more success in studying. The competition was held for the first time in May 2013 and reached its second round in autumn 2014 - the winner will be presented with the award in Berlin in May 2015.
The 2015 ‘Best Machine Hall’ award is a VDMA prize worth € 100,000. All departments and faculties offering study programmes in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering can apply for participation in the contest.
Why?
The drop-out rates in the study programmes Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering at German universities are high: according to the association they range between 30 and 50 percent. By awarding the prize, the VDMA intends to advance innovative teaching concepts that make it possible to reverse this trend.
We are joining in!
The jury has now once again been convinced by the concept submitted by the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism (EMT): the department is thus among the six best applicants.
The VDMA has requested a professional camera team to shoot a short film on each university that has applied for the award. To this end, Professor Melcher has devised a film script that emphasises the unique positive features of our university and the Department of EMT. The script draws attention to the interdisciplinary teaching concepts for lectures, tutorials and internships and to the integration of theory and practice through project weeks. This video is not only intended to convince the jury, but also to instil new students, women in particular, with enthusiasm for a career in engineering.
To take part in the final, the applicants are also required to fill in a request form including questions on how the quality of teaching is ensured. The staff members dealing with this questionnaire include: Prof. Paul Melcher in his capacity as Commissioner for Quality and Evaluation, Dean Prof. Johannes Geilen, Prof. Iris Groß, Vice President for Teaching and Learning, Professor Marco Winzker in his capacity as ProMintus Commissioner and Department Spokesperson Dr Horst Rörig.
Prof. Melcher has been invited to give a presentation at the Frankfurt VDMA. Subsequently, he will be available to answer the questions posed by the jury, which consists of 16 representatives from industry and academia.
At that point we will have to keep our fingers crossed so as to be the winners of the prize that will be presented in Berlin on 5 May.