The "Deutschlandstipendium" at the TUM: 10 years

A scholarship that gives freedom

When Chidera Abonyi finished his undergraduate studies in Nigeria, there was a severe economic crisis. He lost his savings. His big dream was to study Mechanical Engineering in Germany. "I was excited about the country, with its strong research and industry," he says. Thus, he applied to TUM and for a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship – successfully.  Abonyi has been involved socially for a long time: In his home country, he initiated "Climate Change Clubs" to raise awareness for the topic of climate change among primary school pupils. "For the jury, it is important what kind of a person you are and what challenges you take on," Abonyi says.

If you want to ask Neslihan Ülkü Şahin what she does to show commitment, you should take some time. The 22-year-old, who is from Munich, is a Master's student of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, chairwoman of a student initiative, and she is also involved in numerous other initiatives and mosque communities. In workshops, she teaches young people how they can reduce plastic consumption and their carbon footprint. Together with the Bavarian Red Cross, she runs a regular blood donation campaign, coordinates book donations, and helps out at a retirement home. "For me, it is not only important to meet other people in everyday life, but also to engage in meaningful activities with them. This also enables networking on a more profound level," she says. The Deutschlandstipendium allows her to take time for this: "The scholarship enables me to pursue my time-consuming studies and use the rest of my energy for my voluntary commitment," Şahin says. Otherwise, she would have to work part-time to finance her living expenses.

A cycle of give and take

The scholarship holders meet up at regular get-togethers or become active together, for example in the "Talente spenden" initiative. Once a year, supporters and scholarship holders get to know each other at a festive event.

Abonyi gets emotional talking about this: "In the first year, my sponsor was an entrepreneur who decided he wanted to support me – just like that. For me, somebody like that is a role model," he says. The name of this role model is Roland Lacher. The 78-year-old entrepreneur is a TUM alumnus; a mechanical engineer who is considered a pioneer of the DVD technology. "My parents were of the opinion that if you are a student, you shouldn't have to work on the side – to ensure that you can focus better, even outside your studies," he says.

When Lacher retired, he wanted to give something back. "I wanted to promote talent, and I remembered the freedom of my own studies," he says. Lacher not only became a founding member of the TUM University Foundation ("TUM Universitätsstiftung"); he went one step further and set up his own foundation. Every year, he supports between eight and twelve students. Meanwhile, some of the former scholarship holders at TUM are already providing funds for new scholarships themselves. After completing his studies, Chidera Abonyi would like to become a sponsor himself. He describes this cycle of give and take as "the beauty of Deutschlandstipendium".

Many of the scholarship holders come from non-academic backgrounds. With the engineer Şahin, it was different; her father and siblings are also engineers. Actually, she never wanted to go in that direction until she realized: "The main task of an engineer is to solve problems. That makes the profession one of the most creative of all." In her Master's degree, she would like to specialize in bioengineering and neuroengineering and later work in the field of biotechnology: "I work in an interdisciplinary environment, focusing on technical solutions to improve the medical treatment of people." And that's exactly what the scholarship holder is planning for after her studies: to show commitment for society and make a difference.