Swiss national Mireille Kroon has been involved for years with Erasmus Student Network Darmstadt e.V. (ESN Darmstadt) – a student organisation that helps international students settle into life and study in Darmstadt. She was particularly keen to create opportunities for local and international students to meet and strengthen the sense of community on campus: ‘I want international students to feel welcome in Darmstadt – just as I did myself,’ she says, looking back on her involvement.

Bridging cultures

Mireille Kroon also impresses with her outstanding academic achievements and strong initiative. In the Department of Mathematics, she supported teaching and research, created learning materials and supervised students. Kroon gained international experience in educational and social projects, e.g. in Bodhgaya (India) and Hebron (Palestine), where she was involved in language promotion and access to education, among other things.

The selection committee at TU Darmstadt praised Mireille Kroon as an ‘authentic, inclusive and exemplary personality’. In its statement, it said: ‘She combines outstanding academic achievements with remarkable social and intercultural commitment. She represents an international student body that impresses with its competence, commitment and awareness of values.’

International students honoured

Scholarships were also awarded to international students at the award ceremony in the Karo5 Lounge.

‘I am very pleased that TU Darmstadt is able to support at least a small proportion of international students with scholarships,’ said Heribert Warzecha, TU Vice President, Academic Affairs and Diversity. ‘This is important because international students face particular challenges that can hinder their academic success, such as finding accommodation, financing their studies or settling into a completely new environment. The importance of international students to our university has been demonstrated for many years by the winners of the DAAD Prize. With their voluntary and intercultural commitment, which goes far beyond their studies, they make a significant contribution to a cosmopolitan university culture on our campus.’

Eleven students received the scholarship for more equal opportunities, which is aimed at international students who have to overcome particular challenges in their studies, such as childcare and nursing responsibilities, disabilities or chronic illnesses. The scholarship is paid in six monthly instalments of 500 euros each (3,000 euros in total).

The Graduation scholarship was awarded to a total of 36 students from 22 different countries in twelve departments or research groups in the autumn semester of 2024, and to a total of 20 students from 14 different countries in nine departments or research groups in the summer semester of 2025. This scholarship supports international students in the final phase of their studies.

Since 1976, state funds have been awarded to foreign students as a contribution to ensuring the academic success of international students: originally under the title ‘Beihilfe’ (grant), since 2005 as ‘Leistungsorientierte Förderung’ (performance-based funding). The originally purely performance-based funding developed into performance-based funding with the possibility of taking social criteria into account. In 2024, the average funding amounted to 400 euros per month over a period of six months.

With the HessenFonds scholarship, the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK) supports talented and high-achieving refugee students, doctoral candidates and researchers, as well as persecuted doctoral candidates and scientists. Currently, one researcher from Sudan and two from Afghanistan, two doctoral candidates from Afghanistan, one master's student from Syria, one master's student from Ukraine and one bachelor's student from Syria are receiving funding at TU Darmstadt.

From October, a researcher from Ukraine and two master's students from Afghanistan and Ukraine will also receive funding.

The Carlo and Karin Giersch Foundation's Study Start Scholarship Programme supports international first-year Bachelor's students at the TU. It is intended to make it easier for graduates of German schools abroad (DAS) and participants in the PreCIS programme (‘Preparatory Course and Support Programme for International Students’) to start their studies. Funding is available for a maximum of one semester. The scholarship amounts to a total of 2,400 euros per semester (400 euros per month). This winter semester, four first-year students from the Pre-CIS programme from Albania, India, Serbia and Tunisia are receiving funding.