At an official handover ceremony at Ulm University, 84 students received a Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship). The students, who are characterised by outstanding coursework and social commitment, receive financial support of 300 euros per month for one year. The Deutschlandstipendium is funded by private donors and the federal government.
The award-winning scholarship holders and their sponsoring companies, foundations and private individuals were able to meet each other in person at the Germany Scholarship Bau ceremony on Tuesday, 27 January. The young talents are supported regardless of income or background and take into account coursework and commitment. A total of 25 scholarship donors support students at Ulm University with 150 euros per month for one year, with the federal government contributing a further 150 euros. Some of the sponsors have been involved since the Deutschlandstipendium was introduced in 2011.
Professor Olga Pollatos, Vice President for Teaching, thanked all sponsors in her welcoming address: "For 15 years, the Deutschlandstipendium has exemplified the values of our University: specialised, excellent and personal. It not only recognises outstanding coursework and social commitment, but is also an important signal of confidence in the future of our students. The fact that this financial support programme has existed successfully at Ulm University for so many years is thanks to the long-standing and reliable commitment of our sponsors, who create financial freedom and at the same time open up valuable networks and perspectives."
The Deutschlandstipendium is a much sought-after funding instrument. On the one hand, it honours high-achieving students, but it also brings companies into contact with the skilled workers of tomorrow. Many companies offer the sponsored students internships and dissertations, for example. Medical student Phil Israng and Lisa Schmid, Deputy Department Head of Communications at Sparkasse Ulm, are a tandem that came together this evening. "We support our region in many different ways and are also involved in the field of education, because young people are our future. We are very pleased that we were able to take on a scholarship," says Lisa Schmid. 18-year-old Phil Israng feels very honoured by the Deutschlandstipendium. "The financial support is important, but the contacts you can make are also very valuable," says the first-semester medical student. Even first-semester students can apply for a Deutschlandstipendium with their school leaving certificate, for example. The application period usually begins in mid-October.
At the ceremony and the subsequent dinner in the Ulm University Mensa, the focus was on getting to know each other and networking. In a keynote speech entitled "On the way to a sustainable battery", Professor Birgit Esser, Head of the Institute of Organic Chemistry II and Advanced Materials, outlined the successes of battery research in Ulm as part of the POLiS Cluster of Excellence.
The Deutschlandstipendium at the University of Ulm: https: //www.uni-ulm.de/einrichtungen/zuv/dez1/recht-und-organisation/stipendien/deutschlandstipendium/
Further information: Diana Frankenhauser, Department I-1 Marketing Career Service, diana.frankenhauser(at)uni-ulm.de
Text and media contact: Daniela Stang