Hochschule Geisenheim University presented Qiuyue Cheng with the DAAD-Prize 2018 during the welcome event for first semester students held on Monday October 15, 2018. The prize of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is endowed with 1000 Euros and is awarded to international students or PhD candidates who demonstrate outstanding academic achievements and exceptional social commitment. Cheng, who comes from China and is currently in the 5th semester of the International Wine Business degree course at Hochschule Geisenheim University, has been actively involved in public youth work as an educational assistant at Geisenheim’s youth center since the beginning of 2017.
“With the DAAD-Prize we aim to honour young international students who stand out on account of their particular social commitment. We see the award as an important means of showing society what an asset foreign students and PhD candidates are for the university community as well as the local community,” stresses Sonja Thielemann, Head of the International Office at Hochschule Geisenheim University.
Sonja Thielemann also notes that language plays an important role here. Hochschule Geisenheim University therefore provides support for international students before they commence their studies, offering a Pre-Study-Project which helps them acquire the language skills they need for their studies and social life. Cheng was also a successful participant in this project which is funded by the Hessen State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts and the European Social Fund.
The DAAD Prize has been awarded for over ten years now and aims to give faces to the large numbers of international students at German universities and link them with their stories. It demonstrates that all international students take a piece of Germany back home with them and also leave part of themselves behind in Germany – a real asset for both sides.
