Award, opportunity, expectation

On 16 November, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences presented the certificates for the 2023/24 funding year to its ‘Deutschlandstipendium’ scholarship holders and their sponsors. A total of 52 students will now receive a monthly grant of 300 euros for one year, or for a further year. The money is intended to make it easier for them to engage in their studies, in the university’s projects and committees, as well as in voluntary work off-campus or in dealing with particular personal challenges. The funding is split equally between private donors, companies and institutions – predominantly from the region – and the federal government.

At the start of the award ceremony in Studio B, Professor Christoph Meyer, Vice-Rector for Education at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, emphasised what it means to receive a scholarship: On the one hand, he said, it is an honour; on the other, it is an opportunity – opening up, for example, the chance to network with other scholarship holders and sponsors; and finally, it comes with expectations that scholarship holders will play a responsible role in shaping society. Meyer expressed his gratitude to the sponsors: “Through your commitment, you help to make success possible at our university. And you build a bridge between the university and the professional world.”

Professor Hans-Peter Niedermeier, Chair of the Selection Committee, also urged the scholarship recipients to champion democracy, the rule of law and human rights. “Those who want freedom cannot rely on comfort.” State-supported talent development in Germany is unique and, following the experiences of the Nazi era, was deliberately established as a system run by organisations independent of the state, such as the organisations for the promotion of gifted students. Accordingly, Niedermeier also expressed the hope that there would be close cooperation at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences between the scholarship holder groups of the organisations for the promotion of gifted students and the Germany Scholarship programme.

Two long-standing sponsors spoke about their motivation. Professor Detlev Müller represented no fewer than three donors: IMM Electronics GmbH, which he founded, the IMM Foundation, and the Mittweida/Burgstädt Lions Club, which is acting as a sponsor for the first time this year. For Müller, there are three key motivations: giving something back, taking responsibility for students, and nurturing the talent that businesses urgently need.

Ines Unger from the Albrecht Mugler Foundation, who has been a supporter since the very beginning in 2011, wished the scholarship holders “that the Deutschlandstipendium will open up opportunities for you to make progress in your own individual fields and give you the boost you need for your studies”.

Leander Hoßfeld, now a student on the Master’s programme in Cybercrime/Cybersecurity, is receiving funding for a second year. For him, the Deutschlandstipendium means more than just financial support. It has also opened the door to interdisciplinary, practice-oriented contacts. Yujia Liu needed to try again before successfully applying for the scholarship, but the Chinese student on the Bachelor’s programme in Electrical Engineering – Automation saw this as a personal gain too: “The Deutschlandstipendium encourages greater personal initiative,” said Liu in her speech, delivered in German.

The informal get-together at the buffet following the presentation of the certificates provided a good opportunity for the scholarship holders, sponsors and lecturers to network, as intended. It may well have been helpful that Tilo Kühl-Schimmel, a business etiquette coach from Chemnitz, held a crash course in etiquette with the scholarship holders immediately before the award ceremony.