Teaching Mission Statement

What does a competency-based approach mean to us?

We see our central mission as providing graduates with application-oriented training so that they can act responsibly and thoughtfully in their future professional and social environments. To this end, we impart knowledge and its practical application and foster the development of students’ competencies across disciplinary boundaries.

Learning is a lifelong, individual, and collective process. The program is characterized by the application of content learned both independently and as part of a team.

To make this possible:

• we design and continuously refine our degree programs with the goal of optimally developing students’ technical, methodological, and personal competencies.
• we offer programs to develop future skills such as data literacy, AI, innovation competence, problem-solving skills, and intercultural communication.
• we strengthen students’ social responsibility through programs focused on the common good and by integrating socially relevant courses into the curriculum.
• we support students in tailoring their studies to their individual needs through flexible study models and innovative teaching and learning formats.
• Students participate in shaping the curriculum and serve on committees

What do “practical relevance” and “transfer” mean to us?

As Mainz University of Applied Sciences, we stand for the sound, practice-oriented imparting of knowledge and skills and an exchange of experiences with a strong connection to business, cultural, and academic practice, as well as to society in all its diversity.

We specifically promote knowledge transfer and a reciprocal relationship between the university and academia, society, culture, and the business world.

To make this possible:

• we teach and learn in cooperation with our industry partners.
• we offer a variety of career-oriented and practice-based teaching and learning spaces at our university, such as laboratories and workshops.
• we support research-oriented teaching projects with the goal of providing our project partners with solutions to current challenges.
• we optimally integrate practical training phases into our degree programs and, in our dual degree programs, seamlessly link the university as a learning environment with the learning environments of our external partners.
• We support and guide students in developing entrepreneurial skills and pursuing startup ventures.

What does transformation mean to us?

In an era marked by constant change, we respond creatively and pragmatically to new conditions without straying from our core competencies in teaching, research, and scholarship. We respond to social, cultural, economic, and technological challenges, as well as those resulting from climate change, and proactively incorporate them into our teaching. We see ourselves as a learning institution, are open to improvements, and champion an active culture of learning from mistakes and feedback. We identify community and participation as key objectives for actively shaping the rapidly changing future.

It is our responsibility to educate students in a rapidly changing world of life and work, helping them become competent individuals who think critically, act responsibly, and help shape society. We are fundamentally committed to the sustainable management of our environment and to strengthening climate adaptability.

We view the digital transformation as an opportunity for innovative, personalized, and inclusive teaching. We do not regard digital teaching as a replacement for in-person instruction, but rather as a complement to it, to which we bring new momentum through specific digital content and methods.

To make this possible:

• we incorporate the latest technologies into our teaching.
• we keep an eye on social developments in society and take them into account and address them in our teaching.
• we provide structural support to faculty and students through programs that both account for and drive technological change.
• we specifically address the challenges and impacts of climate change and explain how and to what extent it can be counteracted in a discipline-specific manner.
• we promote transformation at both the didactic and content levels.

What do interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity mean to us?

The challenges of the future are diverse and require innovative, inclusive, and creative solutions to find answers to complex questions. We view interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration as crucial factors for success in research and teaching.

We therefore promote interdisciplinary collaboration among different academic disciplines within the university and transdisciplinary collaboration beyond the university’s boundaries. The university is a place for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and ideas, and for ongoing interaction among all members of the university community.

We empower our students to tackle challenges in an interdisciplinary and forward-looking manner. To this end, they network with others and are able to examine complex issues from various perspectives and generate solutions.

To make this possible:

• we establish interdisciplinary teaching and learning formats and recognize social engagement through academic credit.
• we promote exchange and collaboration between academic departments, for example through interdisciplinary projects and informational sessions.
• we continuously expand our program offerings in a forward-looking manner, including interdisciplinary options.
• we focus on key thematic areas such as the consequences of climate change and digital transformation, transcending departmental boundaries
• .

What do equality and diversity mean to us?

Diversity and a wealth of perspectives create dynamic learning environments and foster the intellectual development of students and university staff. For us, diversity means a community that includes people with diverse educational backgrounds and life stories, different genders and sexual identities, different ages, and different religious affiliations, as well as people with disabilities or impairments. Through mutual respect and recognition, our university is a place where we learn with and from one another. Equal opportunity and diversity are fundamental prerequisites for promoting democratic principles and participation in teaching and in all university processes.

As a learning organization, we see it as our responsibility to prepare all our members for civic engagement in complex democracies and to promote social involvement. We view differences as a given, provide space for them, and resist discrimination and discriminatory trends.

We actively advocate for equitable talent development within our diverse community.

To make this possible:

• we promote multi-perspective dialogue with diverse groups.
• we design our teaching materials to be accessible, bias-conscious, and gender-equitable.
• we plan and integrate hybrid, time- and location-flexible offerings, as well as advanced courses and recognition of extracurricular activities.
• we offer programs and support services related to gender equality.

What do regional relevance and internationalization mean to us?

As Mainz University of Applied Sciences, we are closely networked with partner institutions and companies in the region. The challenges faced by these partners in academia, society, culture, business, and the public sector are reflected in the content of our teaching practices, just as our content influences these partners.

Applying the knowledge and skills gained during their studies in local, national, and international contexts continuously expands existing opportunities and opens up new, forward-looking fields of work for our graduates. Our students develop intercultural competencies through exchange and collaboration with international partners and international students.

As ambassadors for our region, we operate nationally and internationally and support projects at the regional, national, and international levels.

To make this possible:

• we provide an education that enables students to think and act within a global context.
• we offer our students semesters abroad at partner universities or with international industry partners, as well as international and intercultural teaching formats and courses.
• We develop collaborations with regional and international partners.
• We fully integrate international students into our university and partner institutions.