Dr. Tanja Rechnitzer of the Institute of Philosophy has been awarded the Leibniz University's Teaching Prize in recognition of her outstanding commitment to academic teaching. Dr. Rechnitzer has been a postdoc with the institute since 2021.
The award ceremony took place on Monday, June 15th, 2026. Tanja Rechnitzer was awarded the prize in the category “Strategy and Transfer” by the Vice President for Teaching, Prof. Dr. Julia Gillen. She had been nominated by both colleagues and students of our institute.
Dr. Tanja Rechnitzer teaches a remarkable thematic breadth of topics —ranging from classical fileds such as epistemology and philosophy of mind to socially relevant topics such as civil disobedience and science and society. Particularly noteworthy are her innovative teaching formats, including podcast seminars in which students produce their own episodes, as well as the week-long "Bootcamp for Incoming Students in Philosophy of Science" for new master's students, which she developed together with Dr. Donal Khosrowi.
Tanja has also contributed to the professionalisation of university teaching within the German-speaking philosophical community—as a member of a nationwide working group and through contributions to the blog “LehrGut”. She serves as a mentor for early-career academics new to teaching, for example through an introductory guide for new instructors at the Institute of Philosophy, developed together with Irene Buchholz.