DAAD-Award

This year's DAAD award winner studied "Applied Computer Science" at the Department of Computer Science and Languages. She originally began her studies in the field of cybersecurity at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in Ukraine. When war broke out, she fled to Germany and found a new academic path at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. "In the midst of the uncertainty of the war, studying at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences seemed to me to be a stabilizing factor and became my mental retreat," she reports. Alongside her studies, she was involved in many different ways. For example, she organized German crime fiction evenings to improve her language skills together with fellow students. In recent months, she has also been working in a HIWI position in the "Professorinnenprogramm 2030" project, which examines issues of gender equality in professorships. She also found the opportunity to return to an old hobby at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences: singing. "Returning to this long-forgotten hobby helped me to deal with stress and regain some self-confidence," says Huzenko. Halyna Huzenko sees her future in the field of cyber security. Her example shows impressively how international students can combine academic excellence and personal strength with courage, motivation and commitment and enrich university life.

Building bridges between cultures:

Reyhaneh Heydari receives the DAAD Prize 2024 of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences

Anhalt University of Applied Sciences is delighted to award Reyhaneh Heydari the DAAD Prize 2024 of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. The prize, endowed with 1,000 euros, is awarded annually by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and honors international students at German universities who have distinguished themselves through exceptional academic achievements and remarkable social or intercultural commitment. Reyhaneh Heydari, who is enrolled on the "Architecture and Cultural Heritage" master's degree program at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, impresses not only with her academic excellence, but also as a bridge builder between cultures.

"For me, human dignity and freedom are paramount," explains the 31-year-old Iranian, who already has a Master's degree in architectural studies from the University of Tehran. She is setting new standards at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences with her excellent grade point average. But it is not only her academic success that stands out: her social and community commitment is just as impressive. "I see myself as a bridge between cultures," she says. "My passion for architecture and cultural heritage was awakened by the impressive historical buildings in my home country of Iran. Now, in the intercultural environment at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, I can develop this passion further and share it with others." As an example, she has realized the bilingual structure of the historical building materials collection and made it accessible to international students.

The path to these successes was not always easy. Internalizing the German language of instruction was one of the biggest challenges for Heydari. "German is not just a language of instruction, it's a way of thinking," she explains. "In order to fully develop in this environment, I had to internalize this way of thinking." Her linguistic enthusiasm went so far that she began translating German textbooks on Architecture and Art History into Persian. Reyhaneh Heydari is involved in the Department Executive Committee and supports international students in the university's Buddy Program. "I know how difficult it is to find your feet in a new country," she says, "butonce I've done it, I can help others to do the same." To finance her studies and achieve her goals, she has taken on many different jobs, from working in the digital sector and museums to founding a start-up to preserve Persian cultural heritage. Heydari wants to continue on her path after graduation: "I want to continue my role as a bridge builder and help us gain a better understanding of the Architecture and cultural heritage of Germany and other countries."

McKenna Montgomery is a graduate of the English-language master's degree program "Landscape Architecture (all courses taught in English)" at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. She is characterized by outstanding academic achievements in all subjects. She has also taken part in various design competitions and won several prizes, including 3rd prize in the "Schwammstadt Quedlinburg" student competition organized by the Association of German Landscape Architects of Central Germany (BDLA), as well as 1st prize in the "Green Facades" competition for Kunst Raum Ateliers GEH8 Dresden.

In addition to her academic successes, McKenna Montgomery shows an impressive social commitment. She is involved in voluntary work both in the USA and at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. At Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, she supports underachieving fellow students as a mentor, helps to organize university events and is an active ambassador for the MLA program of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and its partner university Utah State University in the USA.

Mr. Raja Gopen Biswas is studying for a Master's degree in Integrated Design ( all courses taught in English) in Dessau-Roßlau and has excelled in his academic achievements. He has also managed to successfully organize numerous student projects and event formats and to support his fellow students at the start of their studies, thus making a fundamental contribution to their later academic success. As an experienced designer, his projects are always based on connecting people in the context of "one world, one home, one family". In addition, Mr Biswas works for the European Media Art Platform (EMAP), a consortium of 15 leading European art organizations specializing in digital, media, bio and robotic art.

This year's DAAD prize was awarded to Ms. Nissrine El Asri from Morocco, who is studying for a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and Management in Köthen. In addition to her outstanding coursework, Ms El Asri has been a volunteer for the buddy and language pilot program at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences since the beginning of her studies. She has also been active in the state network of migrant organizations in Saxony-Anhalt and regularly organized intercultural events as part of the International Student Club in Köthen's Martinskirche.