The Baden-Württemberg Centre for Teaching and Learning (HDZ) was founded in 2001 by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg (MWK) and the nine Baden-Württemberg state universities (University of Freiburg, Heidelberg University, University of Hohenheim, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), University of Konstanz, University of Mannheim, University of Stuttgart, University of Tübingen, Ulm University). In 2007, funding was taken over by the universities, which all have an educational development unit for teaching and learning.
The HDZ has the goal to improve the quality of academic teaching, thereby increasing the overall quality of higher education in Baden-Württemberg. In order to reach these two objectives, the HDZ has developed two sets of measures to be implemented. The first is to establish a comprehensive offer of further education for teaching and learning, the second consists of improving the structural framework conditions for university teaching.
In 2015, the HDZ was successfully accredited by the accreditation commission of the German Association for Educational and Academic Staff Development in Higher Education (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hochschuldidaktik, dghd).
