Since February 2022, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and the Staatliches Studienkolleg Nordhausen have been supporting and advising international students, Studienkolleg students and participants in preparatory German courses who have had to flee due to the war in Ukraine. In addition to questions about preparing for and maintaining their studies and integrating into student life, students are often also concerned about financial hardship. Those affected report that their money transfer routes have been cut off and their parents are unemployed. This is precisely where the DAAD comes in with special funding for committed students in need as a result of the war in Ukraine and would like to provide financial support to those who would otherwise not be able to fulfil their wish to study in Germany and who are also involved in voluntary work.

Thanks to the approval of additional funding in the STIBET-I programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which is financed by the Federal Foreign Office, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences is able to award six-month partial scholarships with a total funding amount in the five-figure range to two Ukrainians for this year. All four are currently preparing to study in Germany at the Staatliches Studienkolleg Nordhausen and are expected to study economics after their final exams in January 2024.

The scholarships were awarded by a selection committee on the basis of written applications. Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and the Staatliches Studienkolleg Nordhausen are able to implement further support and integration measures thanks to the DAAD programmes Welcome, STIBET and Integra.

By the end of December, a regular consultation hour for refugees can be offered and additional regional events organised. This will also contribute to networking with other students at the university.