Mr. Mahmood Jabbasseh was the winner of the 2019 DAAD Award. Originally from Syria, he started studying Dentistry at TU Dresden in October 2017. “Since the beginning of his studies, Mr. Jabbasseh has done outstanding work as an interpreter for refugee patients at the University Hospital Dresden. For the past two semesters, he has also volunteered with the Medicine and Dentistry Faculty Student Council as part of a mentoring project for first-year seminar groups.”

Mr. Nikiema was nominated for the award by Dr. Ulrich Zeuner from the Institute of German Studies, Chair of German as a Foreign Language. He has been awarded this prize in recognition of his excellent academic performance in the Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies Master’s degree program (with a concentration in German Studies) as well as his social engagement. Mr. Nikiema is involved in numerous projects in his homeland of Burkina Faso and in Germany. Music is one of his greatest passions. He is a member of the Dresden-based band “Banda Internationale,” whose members work to combat racism and to encourage more tolerance, respect and solidarity. The band was awarded the Saxon Prize for Socio-Cultural Engagement in 2016. He also offers intercultural workshops in schools and kindergartens, is an advisor to the PASCH mentoring program and leads an exchange program in Burkina Faso in collaboration with the Goethe Institut and the PASCH Program.

Mr. Colic was nominated for the award by Prof. Jürgen Hoyer from the Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. Mr. Colic has been awarded this prize in recognition of his excellent academic performance in the Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Master’s degree program as well as his social engagement. Mr. Colic’s commitment to caring for traumatized refugees is outstanding. He founded the “(P)Sei-Pate” project on his own initiative, which provides psychological care to refugees in Dresden and the surrounding area and helps them to better integrate into society.

Ms. Silatsa Saha has been awarded this prize in recognition of her excellent academic performance in the Electrical Engineering Diplom degree program as well as her social engagement. She was nominated for the award by Prof. Plettemeier. Since January 2013, she has also been volunteering for STUBE Sachen, an initiative geared towards supporting students from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Since April 2015, Ms. Silatsa Saha has been working regularly with Caritas Dresden in its youth migration service, where she supports the advice service and volunteers to assist young people with language acquisition, school, training, work and study. Her volunteer work facilitates student integration and improves the living situation of international newcomers to Dresden.

Ms. Ordouie has been awarded this prize in recognition of her excellent academic performance in the Biology Master’s degree program as well as her social engagement. She was nominated for the prize by the Chair of Molecular Cell Physiology and Endocrinology. Since 2013, Ms. Ordouie has been volunteering as a community interpreter in Dresden with an association offering support with the social integration of internationals, the “Dresdner Verein für soziale Integration von Ausländern und Aussiedlern e.V.” The association is a member of the German Parity Charitable Association (Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband) and received an award in 2003 from the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany for its integration work with migrants. As an interpreter and cultural mediator, Ms. Ordouie supports asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Iran in their communications with public authorities and institutions as well as with social, educational and health care facilities. Through her volunteer work, she directly improves the living situation of refugees and facilitates their integration. Ms. Ordouie is also involved in two more social projects.

Ms. Delgado Lopez received her secondary school diploma in Cuba in 2007 and attended the University of Havana for three years, majoring in German Studies. After an internship as a German language lecturer in her home country, she came to Germany in 2011 to study at TU Dresden. First, she completed a preparatory seminar (German course/foundation course). Starting in the 2011 winter semester, Ms. Delgado Lopez studied for a Bachelor’s in Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies (German Studies/Linguistics and Romance Studies/Spanish), while volunteering with an association for the protection of children's rights, the Deutscher Kinderschutzbund in Dresden. Dr. Zeuner from the Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies become aware of Ms. Delgado Lopez due to her interest and active participation in his courses. He praises her academic performance and good grades in the German as a Foreign Language Specialization. However, the decisive factor for selecting Ms. Delgado Lopez was her involvement in a language meet-up for international newcomers as well as a creative project for the children of asylum seekers. With her dedication, she has made a proactive and effective contribution to integration work in Dresden. With the awarding of the DAAD prize, Ms. Delgado Lopez’s excellent academic performance as well as the contributions of all international students at TU Dresden should be made more visible. The aim is also to encourage more international students at TU Dresden to get involved in social causes.