DAAD Award for Foreign Students
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In order to recognize that international students enrich the university community at German universities both culturally and academically, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides annual funding to universities for the "DAAD Award for Outstanding Achievement by International Students at German Universities".
Each year, an international student is also awarded this prize at TU Dresden. The prize, endowed with 1,000 EUR, is intended to recognize outstanding international students who have distinguished themselves through remarkable social or intercultural commitment and special academic achievements. The selection of the honored person is made internally at the university.
Award Winner 2023: Zhaowei Zheng (Student of the Bachelor's program in Psychology)
This year's DAAD award winner, Ms. Zhaowei Zheng, was involved in various projects during her psychology studies, which she successfully completed in September 2023.
The decisive factors for the award were her excellent academic achievements and her involvement in the nationwide mentoring program "Balu und du", which promotes equal opportunities and educational justice for primary school children. Ms. Zheng was a mentor for a primary school child from Dresden for over a year and built up a close relationship during this time. The process of mentoring young children was very warm and fulfilling for her. In terms of her own future, this commitment has also left a lasting impression and Ms. Zheng is considering the possibility of a future career in child and adolescent psychotherapy.
Ms. Zheng's commitment shows that compassion, and especially one's own time and support, can make a lasting difference in a child's life and is therefore a valuable contribution to our society. The DAAD Prize 2023 was presented to Ms Zheng on behalf of TU Dresden by the Vice-Rector for Education, Prof. Dr. Kobel, in a small ceremony at the Rectorate on 15 December 2023.
Former Award Winners
Information on all our former award winners can be found here.
Call for Applicants DAAD Award 2024
We would like to encourage all of the committed international students to present their voluntary work to us and to apply for the DAAD Award. The application can be submitted directly to the International Office (scholarship programs for international students).
However, applicants need support for their application from a TUD employee / department / group. This must be noted in the application.
Expected application timeline:
March 2024: Call for applications: via our website, the student newsletter and posts on social media.
May 2024: Application deadline: 31 May 2024.
June 2024: Selection (by a committee with representatives of the areas: Teachers, administration and students TU Dresden)
24 October 2024: Award Ceremony
The prize money in the amount of 1,000 EUR will be officially presented to the winner in October 2024.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate the following criteria:
- a foreign nationality and a foreign school leaving certificate (graduates of German schools abroad and German Studienkollegs can also participate)
- an active social or intercultural commitment during their studies at the TU Dresden
- very good academic performance
- Enrolment in an advanced stage of studies at TU Dresden (Bachelor, Diplom, Staatsexamen: at least 3rd semester, Master: at least 2nd semester)
- Support of the application by TUD employee / department / group
Future graduates of TU Dresden may also be nominated for the DAAD Award, provided that their studies will not be completed before July 1st in the year of the award. The DAAD Award is not a research award and is not intended to honor a doctoral thesis.
Active socio, social or intercultural commitment is the basis for an application for the DAAD Award. Such a commitment is often also referred to as voluntary work.
Many international students are actively involved in charitable institutions or groups within and outside TU Dresden.
For example, TU internal commitments include: the unpaid supervision of students, cultural events or tandem and mentoring programmes. For example, you can get involved in the following initiatives and associations:
Hochschulgruppen an der TUD, Fachschaftsrat des Studiengangs, STURA (Referat Ausländische Studierende), Campusbüro Uni mit Kind, Studentenwerk Dresden
TU external engagement can be found in clubs and associations, churches and foundations, private and public institutions, political parties and trade unions, initiatives, movements, projects, self-organised groups, neighbourhood networks or self-help.
You can find more information about volunteering on the City of Dresden website:
For the award of the DAAD Prize, the engagemente should fulfil the following criteria:
- it must take place during the time of study at TU Dresden
- it officially counts as voluntary work (= activities that are carried out for others in a self-determined and non-profit-making manner and are oriented towards the common good) and is only marginally remunerated, if at all.
- it should be of a minimum duration of 6 months. In the case of a shorter commitment, a high level of impact must be demonstrated. (e.g.: a large-scale fundraising campaign)
- written proof from a TU internal or external institution or association about the duration, scope and nature of the social or intercultural engagement must be submitted (with official letterhead of the institution and contact details of the person issuing the letter).
- Completed and signed application form (PDF)
- If you have several relevant commitments, please submit the following form for each additional commitment.
- Certificate from the Examination Office stating the credits achieved so far and the average grade* achieved so far
- A current list of grades issued and stamped by the Examination Office must also be submitted. In case that no preliminary average grade can be calculated via the Examination Office, the average grade will be calculated by the International Office in a simplified procedure (= all grades are equivalent).
- Written proof of the duration, scope and nature of the social or intercultural commitment signed by a representative of the institution/association in whose framework the commitment takes place.
- If several commitments are to be included, please submit proof of each commitment.
- Signed declaration of consent to data protection (download data protection form).
Application Deadline: 31 May 2024
Please send your complete application documents only digitally (PDF documents, max. 10 MB) using the following e-mail address with the subject: DAAD Prize 2024 Application
We recommend sending your application documents in encrypted form, but encryption is not mandatory. Notes on the encryption of e-mails (optional):
For secure, encrypted sending of your application documents from your private e-mail address, first register with your private e-mail address in the SecureMail portal of TU Dresden (https://securemail.tu-dresden.de/). Then you can send your application documents as an attachment to the above-mentioned e-mail address via the SecureMail portal of TU Dresden.
For secure, encrypted sending of your application documents from your TUD email address (@tu-dresden.de or @mailbox.tu-dresden.de), you first need to apply for a digital certificate. After configuring the digital certificate, send your application documents as an attachment to the above-mentioned e-mail address.
As soon as we receive your application documents, we will send you a confirmation by e-mail.
Contact
Assistant
NameMs Luise Thalheim
Scholarship programmes for international students
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
International Office - International Students
Visiting address:
Fritz-Foerster-Bau
Mommsenstraße 6, Office 176
01062 Dresden
Coordinator
NameMs Cornelia Hesse
Scholarship programmes for international students
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
International Office - International Students
Visiting address:
Fritz-Foerster-Bau
Mommsenstraße 6, Office 176
01062 Dresden