JGU Scotland HUB’s ‘Teaching Scotland’ is a virtual community bringing together teachers of English who wish to explore Scotland’s literature and culture in the classroom.
On Friday, 24 April 2026, the JGU Scotland HUB invited teachers for the second time to the professional development workshop “Teaching Scotland.” Building on the launch event of the eponymous project held last April, this workshop aims to create a virtual community of English teachers with a thematic interest in Scotland.
The project’s goal is to increase the visibility of Scotland’s culture and literature in the English classrooms of secondary schools in Rheinland-Pfalz, thereby embedding Scotland within teacher education. “We aim to support teachers in transforming their enthusiasm for Scotland into didactic practice and further professional development on the topic, so that pupils gain an interculturally competent access to Scotland’s history, culture, and literature in their English lessons,” says Hannah Mai, who leads the project at the JGU Scotland HUB. In doing so, we contribute to appreciating the cultural and linguistic diversity of the United Kingdom. The project is supported, among others, by the Scottish Government.
For this interactive workshop held on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University, English teachers as well as former language assistants who had taught in Scotland for several months during their studies via the JGU Scotland HUB’s GET across Borders programme were invited. This April, 17 participants from Rheinland-Pfalz, Hesse, and Saarland attended this Scotland-focused teaching and learning event. The workshop began with two keynote presentations by guest speakers Dr Andrew MacKillop (University of Glasgow) and Dr Anette Degott (Teaching Fellow at the ZWW, JGU Mainz). Following the talks, teachers developed concepts based on the input, which can be expanded into full lesson units.
This year’s workshop was held in honour and in memory of Lorna Borrowman Smith from Stirling, a dedicated teacher and staff member of our partner in teacher education in Glasgow, the Association of Scottish Literary Studies (https://asls.org.uk/). As part of her own teaching practice, she created numerous teaching materials, which along with her extensive textbook collection, have now found a new home at the JGU Scotland Library. This is unique in Germany and underscores Rheinland-Pfalz’s commitment to education.
“We are proud that the JGU Scotland HUB is the European partner of the Association of Scottish Literary Studies, the teachers’ association for Scottish literature in Scotland, and that Lorna Borrowman Smith’s collection of nearly 1,000 works has found a new home here in Rheinland-Pfalz,” says the Scotland Commissioner, Dr Sigrid Rieuwerts. The donation has been part of the JGU Scotland Library since spring 2026, significantly contributing to the internationalisation of teacher training at JGU, while also remaining accessible to everyone interested. In the presence of her family and with a brief introduction by her son, Dr Stewart Smith, the formal Endowment of Lorna Borrowman Smith’s collection was celebrated in the Scotland Library at the Philosophicum in the early evening following the workshop.
Watch the recordings of the Teaching Scotland Presentations on our YouTube channel!
JGU Scotland HUB promotes the visibility of Scotland’s cultural and literary richness in English lessons in Rheinland-Pfalz
The German state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and Scotland have enjoyed a close relationship for many years. At the same time, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has forged strong networks with numerous Scottish partners through its JGU Scotland HUB.
In March 2021, the relevant Scottish and Rheinland-Pfalz ministries signed a Declaration of Intent to enhance collaboration in education, science, research, and culture. This was further augmented in June 2024 by a Cooperation Agreement signed by the JGU Scotland HUB and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA), which is designed to promote strategic collaboration in the fields of life sciences, environmental sciences, and biotechnology.
Now, the JGU Scotland HUB has initiated a pioneering education-related project called TEACHING SCOTLAND, aimed specifically at secondary school teachers in Rheinland-Pfalz.
“The purpose of TEACHING SCOTLAND is to raise awareness of the cultural and literary richness and diversity of Scotland during secondary-level English lessons in Rheinland-Pfalz. The new initiative encourages teachers to explore what Scotland has to offer and to prepare teaching resources that reflect their enthusiasm for Scottish topics. This will provide their students with intercultural access to and appreciation of Scotland’s history, culture, and literature during English lessons at school”
emphasized Dr. Dominik Wallerius and Hannah Mai of the JGU Scotland HUB.
In recent months and with the support of the JGU Center for Lifelong Learning (ZWW), the Scotland HUB established a professional continuing education initiative for teachers that has already been attended by 19 participants from Rheinland-Pfalz and Hesse. Following keynotes by Dr Ronnie Young and Dr Corey Gibson of the University of Glasgow, who had previously contributed to the revision of the National Curriculum in Scotland, the participants prepared initial lesson drafts designed to teach selected examples of Scottish literature to secondary school students. After a successful launch, TEACHING SCOTLAND will be continued with virtual GET togethers and with an in-person event once a year
“At the JGU Scotland HUB we can build upon valuable experience in establishing TEACHING SCOTLAND, for example with the virtual lecture series READING SCOTLAND, which we have been running successfully for many years. Our READING SCOTLAND series regularly invites participants to virtual gatherings where we explore Scotland’s literature and culture together. By now, people interested in Scotland from all over the world are tuning in – especially when we host Scottish authors. We want to build on this success with TEACHING SCOTLAND and create an opportunity for virtual exchange on Scotland-related topics in secondary schools.”
explains Professor Dr Sigrid Rieuwerts, Director of the JGU Scotland HUB and JGU Commissioner for Scotland.
TEACHING SCOTLAND is part of the extensive range of activities undertaken by the JGU Scotland HUB, which has become the primary point of contact for Scotland-related research, academic collaboration, and cultural exchange in Rheinland-Pfalz. Since 2011, the JGU Scotland HUB has been arranging trainee positions at Scottish schools for German educational trainees in Mainz through its GET Across Borders programme. From 2021 onwards, students from Mainz, Scotland, Ireland, and Latvia have been invited to collaborate in Global Outreach (GO) projects focusing on topics such as climate change, diversity, and sustainability. These projects facilitate short-term student mobilities and promote long-term cultural exchange. In addition, the LPlus course programme provides teaching degree students at JGU with the opportunity to undertake a structured two-semester educational stay in Scotland that is arranged in close cooperation with Scottish partner universities, school authorities, and schools in Scotland. All these activities of the JGU Scotland HUB contribute to enhancing the internationalisation of Mainz University, while also supporting the on-going expansion of intercultural exchange and networking.
The TEACHING SCOTLAND initiative is financed by the Scottish government’s Scottish Connections Fund that has been set up to support Scotland’s international diaspora. In his message delivered to mark the inauguration of the project, Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture of Scotland, stated:
“The Fund aims to promote visibility and links between Scottish diaspora communities. […] By encouraging new links, we want to help create a thriving and truly international Scottish community around the world. Projects like TEACHING SCOTLAND are vital to achieving this aim. I’m sure that it will create a lasting impression of Scottish culture in Rhineland-Palatinate and will help strengthen the relationship between Germany and Scotland.”
Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture of Scotland
Exploring Scotland’s literature and culture in the workshop.
Join us on Monday, April 7th 2025 for a workshop and launch event of TEACHING SCOTLAND!
We will share best practice and learn how to incorporate Scotland’s culture and literature in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom.
To this end, we will be joined by Dr Corey Gibson and Dr Ronnie Young from the University of Glasgow who will present a selection of Scottish texts. In a workshop lesson ideas and teaching resources will be created by and for teachers wishing to explore Scotland-focussed topics.
Key Dates
Watch this space for updates and new events!
Our Teaching Scotland Community is open to all secondary school teachers irrespective of the type of school you teach at. We welcome all teachers of English with an interest in Scotland’s culture and literature.
If you would like to join us, please send an email to scothub@uni-mainz.de