Mads Pagh Nielsen named Teacher of the Year by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
: 11.09.2023
Mads Pagh Nielsen named Teacher of the Year by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
: 11.09.2023
Forside
Mads Pagh Nielsen named Teacher of the Year by Ministry of Higher Education and Science
By David Graff, Dean’s Office, ENGINEERING. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication
Each year, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science honours seven teachers at higher education institutions with awards, including two to the country's universities. AAU is now the recipient of the award for the second year in a row after AAU professor and national coach of the Danish national cyber team Jens Myrup Pedersen received the award last year.
See the presse release from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science: Syv engagerede og nærværende undervisere modtager i dag Undervisningsprisen (in Danish)
The awards to Mads this year and Jens Myrup Pedersen last year are a recognition that they are both super talented. We are very proud to have some of the country's best teachers with us.
Pro-rector Anne Marie Kanstrup also sees the awards as a sign that Aalborg University's problem-based learning model, PBL, provides students with good conditions for learning and teachers ample opportunity for development.
The recommendation of Mads Pagh Nielsen by the Danish Rectors' Conference would agree, emphasizing that his teaching is marked by student involvement, business collaboration and projects with real problems. All key characteristics of the PBL approach.
Curiosity drives the work
Mads Pagh Nielsen's teaching is also characterized by, given his inquisitive nature and great creativity, his managing to link his teaching at a high academic level to current, real-world issues.
His curiosity about technology came as a child from his grandfather who had a pilot's certificate and was a radio amateur, and from the inventor Arthur who could repair and combine all sorts of devices. Today, Mads Pagh Nielsen draws inspiration from his many industrial research projects in areas such as power-2-x, and as head of the Electro Fuels Research Group at AAU Energy.
Mads is a leading researcher in his field. Seeing how he manages to involve his students in this exciting world is a great inspiration to us all.
In his private life, curiosity also drives Mads Pagh Nielsen when he pursues genealogy, sings in a choir, composes and plays music, is active in associations and much more.
My wise and devoted parents, who ran a nursery for more than 50 years, taught me that I should never "stand still", but should constantly renew myself, involve myself in society and take an interest in general knowledge about the world. I hope to teach my three sons and our students the same.
Testing the teaching
At AAU, Mads Pagh Nielsen continuously sharpens his teaching, expressing his very being:
- I love teaching, seeing the light dawn on the students and trying out new ways to engage them in order to understand exactly what they need to learn. This requires that you motivate both the students and yourself in a careful and planned way in terms of the progression of the material and the tools you have, he explains, and elaborates:
For example, how can I organize the course so that the students are challenged precisely enough to learn and so as not to lose heart? When should I provide aha experiences and clues? How do I foster a culture where mistakes are discussed with others? And what should I actually spend lecture time on – perhaps a large part can be presented on video before the lecture? I think about that a lot.
Equally skilled colleagues
If you ask Mads Pagh Nielsen where he gets new ideas for teaching, he answers promptly:
- From my talented colleagues and the many good teachers I’ve had myself. I’m also inspired every day by my lovely wife Heidi, who teaches at the upper secondary level. There are many people at the university who teach just as well as I do, so I’m very humbled and amazed, but also proud to receive the award. It's probably the biggest thing I've experienced in my career, he explains.
The teaching award comes with DKK 300,000 for new development activities, and Mads Pagh Nielsen already has ideas for how the money should be spent:
I would like to continue to strengthen interdisciplinary teaching activities. I teach energy, but energy must be seen in a larger context and in interaction with other disciplines if the green transition is to be successful. In addition, I hope to develop hybrid teaching so that we can be even better at exploiting how young people acquire knowledge today, for example with the concept AAU Micro.
Learn more about the Ministry of Higher Education and Science Teaching Award
The Ministry of Higher Education and Science Teaching Award is considered to be the most prestigious teaching award in Denmark. It is given in recognition of teachers who:
- Manage to convey material of a complex nature in an inspiring and easy-to-absorb way
- Achieve active participation and critical reflection on the part of students
- Contribute constructive feedback to increase student development
- Create greater relevance in teaching by incorporating practical experiences
- Improve their own teaching and its quality by sharing experiences with colleagues and students.
The seven teaching awards for 2023 were presented today at an official ceremony by Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science, and HRH The Crown Princess Mary.
Read more on the Ministry of Higher Education and Science website (in Danish).