The main sponsors continue to be the Erfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Erfurt) with 20 scholarships and the Thüringer Aufbaubank, which supports ten scholarship holders. Four regional companies support the federal government's programme, as do two foundations - the Carl Zeiss Foundation and the Ernst Abbe Foundation.

The latter recently decided to grant Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences a second scholarship for three years. René Arnold, a student on the Master's degree programme in Industrial Engineering and Management, was particularly pleased about this, as he is the tenth new Germany Scholarship holder and only found out last week that he now has an additional 300 euros per month for one year.

New additions to the programme for the 2014 summer semester:

• Julian Bischof, student on the Master's programme "Energy-Ecological Urban Redevelopment"
• Mark Brandes, student on the "Regenerative Energy Technology" bachelor's degree programme
• Lars Domes, student on the "Social Management" Bachelor's degree programme
• Christin Friedrichs, student on the "Public Management & Governance" Master's programme
• Felix Hechtel, student on the "Social Management" Bachelor's degree programme
• Tara Madleen Heinemann, student on the "Public Management & Governance" Master's programme
• Lena Horlbeck, student on the "Industrial Engineering and Management" Master's programme
• Agnes Spiegel, student on the "Social Management" Bachelor's degree programme
• Lea Stühring, student on the "Regenerative Energy Technology" bachelor's degree programme

The selection committee had to sift through 38 applications and decided in favour of the best performing students, all of whom also convincingly fulfilled the criterion of social commitment.

The small ceremony on 8 April, at which the scholarships were presented by UAS President Prof. Dr Jörg Wagner, was also attended by scholarship holders who will continue to benefit from the Deutschlandstipendium for a little longer because the funding has been extended. They received new certificates for the renewed award.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research recently made a new template available - with the signature of Minister Prof Dr Johanna Wanka.

The main sponsors, represented by the Vice President of the IHK Erfurt, Ulrich Schlegel, the Head of the Training and Further Education Department of the IHK Erfurt, Thomas Fahlbusch, and the Director of the Human Resources Department of the Thüringer Aufbaubank, Andrea Rötsch, were also present at the presentation of the German scholarships.

This event is also always a good opportunity to get to know potential skilled workers and make initial contacts with the aim of retaining well-trained young people in Thuringia.