DAAD Prize
The DAAD Prize, awarded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), comes with a cash award of 1000 euros, and is a prestigious recognition of the academic excellence and social engagement of international students at German universities. By highlighting the achievements and experiences of these students, the prize aims to create a more personalized understanding of the international student community.
2024
Jody Danard from France
Jody Danard was born in Nantes (France) and has been a doctoral student at the University of Bremen since 2022, where she is pursuing a doctorate in Francophone literature on identity and alterity narratives of Quebec and autochthonous contemporary literatures from the imaginary of the North. In addition to her studies and doctorate, Jody Danard has volunteered in various capacities. In Bremen, she is involved in various outreach activities organized by Faculty 10 to make the joy of reading and literature more widely accessible. Among other things, she organized and hosted an event on the Austro-Canadian author Monique Bosco at the globale° 2022 literature festival.
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2023
Paria Moraghebi from Iran
Paria Moraghebi attended a Tehran high school with an area of focus on the arts, went on to complete her A-levels in art there, and wrote for various cultural and music magazines. In Germany, she took her A-levels again, as the Iranian qualification is not recognized here. She began her degree in Social / Cultural Anthropology and Cultural Studies and Art - Media – Aesthetic Education at the University of Bremen in the 2021/22 winter semester. In addition to her undergradaute studies and two part-time jobs, the student is involved in Bremen's cultural scene, for example with the association "Kultur im Bunker e.V." and the queerfilm festival Bremen. She is particularly committed to strengthening the perspectives of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities.
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2022
Hadya Sleman from Iraq
Hadya Sleman was a participant in “here studies” – the Bremen preparatory studies for refugees – in 2019, after which she began a degree in teacher education for secondary schools and high schools at the University of Bremen in the subjects biology and art. Before she could start her studies in pursuit of her dream career as a teacher, she had to overcome a number of hurdles that called for an extraordinary amount of perseverance and personal strength. As soon as Hadya Sleman could understand basic German, she started to help other schoolmates with translations and accompanied many families to official appointments as well as visits to doctors as a language mediator. She was also involved in refugee aid, offering her assistance to people who had to leave their homes and seek refuge in Germany.
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2021
Kameel Khoury from Syria
Kameel Khoury graduated with a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Tishreen University in Latakia, Syria in 2016. He moved to Germany in 2018 on a student visa and, after taking a language course, started his master's program in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology with a focus on Information and Communication Technology at the University of Bremen in 2019. Khoury is an active member of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bremen, where he volunteers as a translator and helps refugees learn German. Since 2020, he has been a recipient of the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation scholarship.
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2020
Sanaz Sadat Afzali from Iran
Sanaz Sadat Afzahli's achievements in her undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering at the Isfahan University of Technology in Iran were already exemplary. At the University of Bremen, she is currently pursuing a master's degree in Communication and Information Technology. Afzali is a talented musician and a member of both the university orchestra and choir, who regularly performs her self-composed songs,which are usually written in Persian. Sanaz Sadat Afzali's dedication to music helps to encourage her peers and faculty members to explore new interests and skills outside of their respective fields.
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2019
Prachi Dadhich from India
Prachi Dadhich investigated insects that infest various types of fruit in Central Africa for her master's thesis in the University of Bremen's international degree program Ecology. She has also regularly published in online scientific journals since her bachelor's degree, focusing on various ecological topics. Prachi Dadhich is actively engaged in volunteer work for the Indian Students Association in Bremen as well, providing support and guidance to students from her home country who have begun degrees at the University of Bremen.
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2018
Samuel Xavier from Brazil
Samuel Xavier completed his master's degree in secondary school teaching and educational sciences at the University of Bremen in 2018. Especially as part of his bachelor’s and master’s theses, he has researched socially relevant topics from the field of intercultural pedagogy, focusing on diversity, awareness, and integration. In addition to his studies, his volunteer work included organizing various events on the subject of integration in Germany and abroad. He took part in artistic and musical initiatives, and actively assisted schoolchildren and students in the context of advisory and support services.
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2017
Vatsal Mistry from India
Vatsal Mistry is pursuing a master's degree in Control, Microelectronics and Microsystems at the University of Bremen. Mistry is especially interested in robotics, and wants to apply his knowledgegained here to his home country and thereby contribute to its development. He appreciates the expertise in his field that is found in Germany and at the University of Bremen as well, and the independence afforded students, which allows him to pursue other activities during his degree. He is very active in the university's Indian student community ISAB. He and other members organize events and celebrations, such as for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which holds great significance in India, similar to Christmas or New Year's in Germany. The association also helps newly arrived students from India to settle in to Bremen and the university.
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2016
Kateryna Solopova from Ukraine
Kateryna Solopova is a Ukraine native and is enrolled in the History program at the University of Bremen. In addition to her academic pursuits and two part-time positions, she also has various volunteer roles. She teaches language courses to adolescents with a migration background, advocates for refugees, and works as a journalist for the "Stephanus" news bulletin. On top of all of this, she is also working on a documentary project on the history of the Russian-German community. Since September 2016, she has been a mentee in the University of Bremen's "Fokus Berufseinstieg" program, where she collaborates with researchers at the "Bunker Valentin" memorial site in a project about the forced laborers from Ukraine who constructed the bunker during World War II.
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2015
José Tomás Cisternas Fredes from Chile
Social engagement is an essential part of student life for José Tomás Cisternas Fredes, a Chliean student in the Teacher Education program. He supervises a youth group with and without intellectual disabilities who play together in a band. He not only fosters a sense of camaraderie but also helps them increase their ability to concentrate and learn, as well as improve their social skills. The 29-year-old also participates in a Bremen support project for children and adolescents with a migration background within Faculty 12: Pedagogy and Educational Sciences. His current engagement includes the Foodsharing initiative, which seeks to reduce food waste through community-driven efforts, and working with unaccompanied minor refugees.
morePrize Recipients from the Years 2008 - 2014
- 2014: Simón Algorta from Columbia, Digital Media master's program (in German only)
- 2013: Svetlana Korotkova from Russia, Educational Sciences master's program (in German only)
- 2012: Carmen Villaca?as de Castro from Spain (in German only)
- 2011: Meng Wu from China, Communication and Information Technology master's program (in German only)
- 2010: Alesia Kananchuk from Belarus, Integrated European Studies, bachelor's program (in German only)
- 2009: Nina T?uber from Moldova, Integrated European Studies, bachelor's program (in German only)
- 2008: Kishore Duganapalli from India, Communication and Information Technolog master's program (in German only)