“A true highlight” The network meeting of holders of the Deutschlandstipendium and sponsors

On 27 September, the Deutschlandstipendium holders and sponsors of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 cohorts met at the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF) for a network meeting.

Sponsored and sponsors of the Deutschlandstipendium at the network meeting at the NFF. Photo credit: Andreas Bormann/TU Braunschweig

For 11 years now, Technische Universität Braunschweig has been participating in the Deutschlandstipendium programme of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in which 150 euros donated by private individuals, companies, foundations or associations are doubled by the BMBF. The selected students receive a monthly scholarship amount of 300 euros over two semesters. In addition to financial support, the programme focuses on ideational support for the students. The sponsors organise opportunities to get to know each other, to try things out and to network.

And it was precisely networking that was the focus of the most recent meeting. The Vice President for Organisational Development and Teacher Training, Professor Katja Koch, welcomed the participants to the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF) and affirmed the idea of networking.

Above all, the professional exchange of like-minded people, but also the conversations between people from the most diverse subject areas are opportunities in such a scholarship programme from which the participants of the networking evening benefit. In the best case, the contacts are maintained beyond the funding period.

Colourful conclusion of the Deutschlandstipendium year

The event was framed by other exciting presentations from the TU environment. A staff member from the Knowledge Transfer department presented the possibilities of the ” Sandkasten” engagement platform, a TU platform for the realisation of ideas around a liveable and sustainable campus. One of the current projects, the OpenBikeSensor, was presented directly on site and the scholarship holders were able to ask many questions. Representatives of the Lions Racing Team were also on site and presented the student initiative’s racing car to an interested audience.

Thanks to Professor Henke and other NFF staff, the students and supporters were able to visit and discover the technical centre with its various test benches. “That was a true highlight,” says Luisa Goldgräbe, coordinator of the Deutschlandstipendium.

In addition to the annual ceremonial awarding of scholarship certificates at the beginning of the funding period in winter, this event format will now always be offered in the summer semester at different locations, thus forming a joint conclusion to the Deutschlandstipendium year.