The German National Academic Foundation, the largest and oldest organization for the promotion of gifted students in the Federal Republic of Germany, supports particularly talented and committed students throughout Germany. The Studienstiftung's recently published statistics show that the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG LU) has the highest number of sponsored students at universities of applied sciences (HAW) in Rhineland-Palatinate in both absolute and percentage terms, with nine sponsored students in 2023. In a Germany-wide comparison of all HAWs, HWG LU ranks 14th in percentage terms and 25th in absolute numbers.
"We are very pleased with this result, as it shows once again that we have excellent and committed students in our ranks. In addition, we were able to triple the number of students supported by the German National Academic Foundation compared to 2021," says a delighted university president Prof. Dr. Gunther Piller. The aim now is not only to maintain the proportion of sponsored students in the coming years, but to increase it further. "To do this, we need to raise awareness of the right to nominate students through education staff or our Student Service Center, as well as the option of self-application. After all, we have many students with very good academic achievements and great social commitment - they often just don't think about the possibility of receiving non-material or financial support from the gifted and talented organizations," says Piller.
One of the students currently being supported by the German National Academic Foundation is Luisa Schmalz. The student from the Department of Marketing & Human Resources Management is particularly interested in the non-material support opportunities offered by the program: "The Studienstiftung offers me a large network of inspiring lecturers and exciting personalities who support me in my academic and personal development. Most recently, at a summer academy in Vienna, I was able to work in an interdisciplinary working group on content that went beyond my other main areas of study and gave me food for thought. I am looking forward to further educational events such as language courses or university meetings," explains Luisa Schmalz.
"The Studienstiftung really is a great enrichment. The financial support gives you the opportunity to fill your free time with more than just a part-time job. What I particularly like is that you get to meet lots of interesting people from a wide variety of backgrounds. These different perspectives make it particularly fun to deal with current issues. I can only recommend anyone to apply for a scholarship," adds Roderic Fonteyne, scholarship holder of the Studienstiftung and alumnus of the Health Economics in Practice degree program.
At the HWG LU, Prof. Dr. Jasmina Stoebel holds the role of liaison lecturer for the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. The professor of health economics with a focus on digitalization and organizational development is a former scholarship holder herself and finds it particularly enriching to accompany young talents on an important stage of their educational path. "The Studienstiftung opens up unique opportunities for personal growth and academic excellence. It fills me with joy and gratitude to support committed and talented students in developing their individual abilities and making a positive impact on society. The encounters with the scholarship holders are consistently inspiring and show how important it is to appreciate and support the value of education and commitment," explains Prof. Jasmina Stoebel.
About the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes:
The Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes is the oldest and largest organization for the promotion of gifted students in the Federal Republic of Germany. Supported with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the foundation provides financial and non-material support to particularly talented and committed students and doctoral candidates. The Studienstiftung is the only organization that selects and supports scholarship holders independently of political, ideological and religious guidelines. The Studienstiftung's statutory mission is to promote "the higher education of young people whose high academic or artistic talent and personality give reason to expect special achievements in the service of the general public". Funding is open to all degree programs and types of higher education institutions.
Further information on the German National Academic Foundation can be found at www.studienstiftung.de
