Recognizing best practices of teaching and learning has been identified as one of the priorities in Paris Communique 2018. Rome Ministerial Communique of 2020 highlights that authorities responsible on higher education in EHEA countries should be supporting HEIs at national level in developing student-centered teaching and learning which implies recognition of excellence in teaching. This was the aim of the first international higher education teacher award implemented within the framework of the EU-funded PROFFORMANCE project. Teacher award aimed to identify, acknowledge and recognize excellent teaching practices and to provide opportunities not only for sharing and exchanging best examples, but also to encourage cooperation between the Higher Education Institutions of the European Higher Education Area.

For the award call, 126 high-quality applications from 6 PROFFORMANCE countries (Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Georgia, Hungary, Serbia) have been submitted in 4 categories (Student-centered course design, Innovative teaching and learning, Students’ learning assessment, Impact and mission with and for society). The applications were evaluated by an international jury consisting of independent experts of the field.

Best of Georgia award has been given to Lado Sirdadze from Business and Technologies University, Georgia for his project - Digital Knowledge Trees - Converting Course Content into Digital Knowledge Trees in order to Teach, Learn and Use them in Practice in Everyday Life. The winners and also all the 126 teaching excellence good practices are available in an online database:  https://award.profformance.eu