Seven students from TU Braunschweig receive the ‘Braunschweig Citizens’ Award’ A total of €10,500 is awarded for outstanding achievements and commitment
On St. Nicholas Day, the Braunschweig Citizens’ Award was presented as is tradition – for the 30th time in 2025. This year, seven students from Technische Universität Braunschweig were honoured for outstanding academic achievements and social commitment.
Five of the seven prizes, each worth €1,500, are financed from the proceeds of the ‘Braunschweig Citizens’ Award Foundation for Outstanding Student Achievements’. This was founded in 1996 by the committed Braunschweig resident Lieselotte Alter, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 92. The Soroptimist Club Braunschweig and Carl Peter Langerfeldt are providing the award winners with an additional Citizens’ Award of €1,500 each. In addition, six students in need at TU Braunschweig will receive a total of €7,000 in support from the foundation’s funds.
The award winners
Business informatics student Ahmad Iqbal Bin Mohd Shahir Shamsir has been supporting international students at TU Braunschweig for years. He assists them with administrative procedures, helps them find accommodation and tutors them before important exams. With the Malaysian student association he founded, he has created an open space for students of all nationalities. He has already received this year’s Lower Saxony Science Award for his extraordinary commitment. He also impresses with his academic achievements: he recently presented the results of his excellent bachelor’s thesis on digital product passports at a specialist conference. He continues to support the Institute for Business Informatics as a student assistant.
Lena Zackl is the best in her year 2024 in the Master’s programme in Biology at TU Braunschweig. She impresses with her scientific excellence, wealth of ideas and team spirit. She has already demonstrated her analytical and persistent approach to work in internships at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, the Robert Koch Institute and Braunschweig Hospital. During her Master’s thesis in the field of cell metabolism, she independently developed novel methods for data collection and was invited to present her results at an international conference. As the first university student in her family, she fought hard to earn her place in academia. She is also involved in university sports and the university choir, as well as social institutions such as the animal shelter, the Workers’ Samaritan Federation and the food bank.
Chemistry student Hannes Müller combines academic strength with reliability and helpfulness. In his bachelor’s thesis, he developed novel copper photosensitisers for the efficient storage of solar energy. He impressed with his meticulous approach and the analytical depth of his work. As a tutor and internship supervisor, the student supports younger fellow students with clear explanations and encourages their scientific curiosity. Outside the university, he has been involved for years as a badminton youth coach at Flechtinger SV, where he teaches fair play and team spirit.
Civil engineering student Hannah Hellmann scores highly for her outstanding academic achievements and exceptional commitment to academic self-administration. She already completed her bachelor’s degree with remarkable results and is continuing this success impressively in her master’s programme. For over two years, she has been a highly reliable member of the construction department, the student council and the student parliament. In addition, she has taken on responsible tasks in the study commission, the examination board, the faculty council, a habilitation commission and already four appointment commissions. She also organises introductory events and weekends for first-year students, organises joint celebrations and thus contributes significantly to making TU Braunschweig a lively place.
Caroline Siebert excels in her master’s degree in environmental engineering with excellent grades and contributes to the internationalisation of TU Braunschweig with her commitment. She completed her bachelor’s degree with an Erasmus stay abroad and very good grades. The top grade of 1.0 in hydromechanics paved the way for her to become a student assistant at the Leichtweiß Institute for Hydraulic Engineering. She is particularly impressive in her specialisation in ‘Coastal Engineering and Marine Construction’. In addition, she has been active in various areas of childcare and international youth services. As an active member of the Erasmus Student Network, she mentors international students in the buddy programme. She is also involved with the Braunschweig-Riddagshausen volunteer fire brigade.
Adam Kuchnia, a master’s student in electrical engineering, has attracted attention with his outstanding achievements, commitment and social responsibility. He was already among the best in his year during his bachelor’s degree and is continuing his master’s degree with a grade of 1.0. In lectures, he impresses with his exceptional results and active participation. He volunteers in the electrical engineering department, the student council, the departmental council and the faculty council. He has also been active as team captain and youth coach in the table tennis department of SV Viktoria Woltwiesche for almost ten years. In addition, he gives guitar lessons to children, plays the trumpet in an orchestra, sings in the choir ‘The UpperVoices’ and is involved in youth welfare in Ilsede.
Julian Mathis Vondeberg also studies electrical engineering and stands out for his strong academic performance and great commitment. In his bachelor’s degree programme, he received top marks in the modules ‘Networks’ and ‘Circuit Technology’ and developed a high-voltage amplifier for organ-on-chip applications in his bachelor’s thesis. He was so enthusiastic about the topic that he remained loyal to the Institute for CMOS Design as a student assistant. At the same time, Julian Mathis Vondeberg has been helping to shape student life for years: in the electrical engineering department, he plans and organises events and weekly committee meetings, acts as a liaison to the professors and is a candidate for the student parliament.