"The contacts are an asset"
Sayuri Hahl is enrolled in the Mathematics in Bioscience Master’s Program and is being sponsored by a private benefactor in the National Scholarship Program.
Stefan Wolf is presently completing the elite study program Software Engineering. He was one of the first scholarship holders of the National Scholarship Program at the TUM. In the interview, they both tell us about the value that the network of scholarship holders and contact to the sponsors has for them.
What benefits does the Deutschlandstipendium program have for you?
Stephan Wolf: In the first instance removing the financial burden naturally helps. But contact with the sponsor can also bring along many advantages. I am being sponsored by eMundo GmbH and shortly after the awards ceremony was offered an internship there. I found the software solutions and projects fascinating and gladly accepted their offer. At the end I was even allowed to go to the International Motor Show in Hannover in order to co-present the software that we developed for a renowned automobile manufacturer.
Sayuri Hahl: For me, the strength of the Deutschlandstipendium lies in its concept: Indeed performance plays an important role in the selection process, but grades only reflect a part of the reality of a student’s life. The National Scholarship Program embraces this concept by taking special personal circumstances into consideration and in large measure by also honouring personal engagement. Additionally, it provides us with opportunities to make contacts and to exchange ideas and network with students from other fields.
Will you also maintain these contacts in the future?
Stephan Wolf: I am quite certain that my sponsor and I will remain in contact in the future.
Sayuri Hahl: I really hope to permanently be able to remain in contact with my sponsor and with other scholarship holders. I really enjoyed the meetings that were held in a more intimate environment so far. Perhaps the interdisciplinarity will give many professions the chance to use this network in the future.
Do you have any advice for your fellow students?
Sayuri Hahl: On the TUM’s National Scholarship website you could get informed about applicant requirements and about the selection process. Don’t doubt your abilities too much – you must not be superman or superwoman to get a shot at the scholarship!
Stephan Wolf: Apply in every case – even if you assess you chances as being low. In my opinion, one should utilize the contact made to the sponsor when one obtains the scholarship.
Would you like to say anything else to the sponsors?
Stephan Wolf: For me, the contact to my sponsor has already been a great asset – I wish the same for other scholarship holders.
Sayuri Hahl: It is really gratifying to see how many sponsors could already be acquired for the TUM. Particularly when one considers that the scholarship involves absolutely no commitment on the side of the student. I hope that participating companies could still profit from their contact to scholarship holders and that many future collaborations develop. At this point, I would like to give special thanks once more to my sponsor Professor Hoffmann. He is financing the scholarships with private resources – that is nothing usual!