My UM
My UM
Search

How can teaching and research reinforce one another?

Teaching and research are often presented as competing parts of academic life. But do they have to be? The new Mending the Gap booklet shows how colleagues across Maastricht University are bringing both together in their everyday work.

The booklet is the result of the EDLAB education innovation project Mend the Gap: Exploring the Research–Teaching Continuum. Through conversations with more than 20 UM academics, a literature review and an exploration of research-based learning at UM, the project looked at what happens when teaching and research are no longer seen as separate activities.

The examples in the booklet show there is no single way to bridge the gap. For some academics, teaching sparks new research ideas. Others use their research to create richer learning experiences or involve students directly in their projects. Many describe how combining both roles helped them reconnect with what first drew them to academia.

Whether you're looking for fresh ideas, practical examples or simply some recognition of the challenges you face, the Mending the Gap booklet offers plenty of inspiration from colleagues across the university.

For questions or more information, please contact the project coordinators Lena Gromotka, Kai Heidemann and Oscar van den Wijngaard.

Also read