A successful start to university life for international STEM students TU project ‘COMPASS International’ receives €500,000 in funding from the MWK

TU Braunschweig is one of five universities in Lower Saxony to receive funding under the call for proposals “Campus International – Pilot Projects to Attract International Students” issued by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK). The International House’s ‘COMPASS International’ project aims to attract international STEM students to TU Braunschweig by offering attractive pre-study programmes. The aim is to help international students start their studies better prepared. The project has been awarded funding of 500,000 euros.

New preparatory programmes for international STEM students are being launched at TU Braunschweig. Picture credits: Simone Fürst/TU Braunschweig

More than 3,200 international students were enrolled at TU Braunschweig in the winter semester of 2025/26. A major hurdle for most of them is successfully getting through the first semester: moving to a new country, learning a new language, making friends and adapting to an unfamiliar academic system can lead to academic challenges and social isolation. Over time, these hurdles often extend study periods or even cause students to drop out of their studies. In recent years, TU Braunschweig has already developed two programmes, the International Student Support and the International Career Service, to help international students tackle these challenges during their studies – with great success.

Foundation for long-term academic success

The “COMPASS International” programme, developed by the International House of TU Braunschweig, will serve as a targeted extension of these existing support services. It begins before the first semester and addresses deficits in technical language, subject knowledge and study organization. At the same time, it promotes integration on campus and lays the foundation for long-term academic success. “COMPASS” stands for “Come on board, prepare yourself, and study successfully”. To address the different needs of the target group, COMPASS offers three study-preparation options: the “COMPASS Crash Course”, a two-week intensive pre-course focusing on German technical terminology and onboarding; the “COMPASS Prep Semester”, a study preparation programme lasting one semester with a focus on technical terminology, preparation for the German language test for university admission, academic orientation and networking; and the “COMPASS Online Club”, a low-threshold online onboarding programme running between application and admission, which is also designed to encourage students to choose TU Braunschweig.

TU President Angela Ittel emphasises the significance of this funding within the competitive selection process run by the MWK: “TU Braunschweig has established internationalisation as a key cross-cutting theme. With “COMPASS International”, we are making it easier for international STEM students to get started at TU Braunschweig. They enter their studies well prepared both academically and linguistically and integrate quickly. This is important for their success – and also an opportunity to attract qualified specialists to Germany.”

The project is set to start in September 2026 and is initially planned to run for four years.