As part of this year’s campus festival for staff and students, University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN) has, for the first time, awarded the DAAD Prize and DAAD-STIBET scholarships to three outstanding international students and doctoral candidates. The awards honor exceptional academic achievements, social commitment, and intercultural competence. With this award ceremony, UTN is sending a strong signal for its strategy of internationalization.
“We want to be a university where more than 40 percent of students have an international background,” emphasized Isa Jahnke, Founding Vice President for Academic and International Affairs at UTN, in her laudatory speech. “To achieve this, we must create spaces of togetherness, mutual learning, and cultural openness from the very beginning.”
The DAAD Prize, endowed with €1,000, was awarded this year to Débora Nunes Pinto de Oliveira (Brazil), a doctoral candidate in the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) at the AI & Robotics Lab. Débora convinced the jury with her excellent academic background, her deep commitment to teaching and research, and her consistent intercultural and social engagement. Particularly impressive was her thoughtful perspective on the international student experience. In her speech, she said: “International students are, by nature, winners of their journey.”
As part of the DAAD-STIBET program, two graduation scholarships for the summer semester 2025 were also awarded, each worth €350 per month. Both students belong to the first cohort of UTN’s Master’s program in AI & Robotics and are close to completing their studies.
- Irene Santana Martin (Spain) was recognized for her outstanding academic achievements and her strong leadership role as a student representative on the university’s internal “StaRs Steering Committee.” She actively contributed to the further development of the study program and is also a participant in the “BayFiD Talent Program” of the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs – a support program for women in digital professions.
- Suman Navaratnarajah (Sri Lanka) impressed with his excellent academic performance and his commitment as cohort spokesperson. He built bridges between students, departments, and university administration, and actively promoted social interaction with creative initiatives – such as regular table tennis evenings in the dormitory. In addition, he worked as a student assistant.
“With the DAAD Prize and the DAAD-STIBET scholarships, UTN underlines its commitment to supporting international talents in a targeted manner – and to providing them with an environment in which they can develop both academically and personally. Débora, Irene, and Suman embody the values we want to live at UTN: excellence, initiative, and cultural openness,” concluded Isa Jahnke in her speech.
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Group Photo of the DAAD Prize | © University of Technology Nuremberg | JPG 299 KB
About the University of Technology Nuremberg
The University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN), founded in 2021, is the first newly established public university in Bavaria since 1978. The UTN is a living laboratory building a university for the age of AI and the rapidly advancing changes in technology, business and society. The UTN strives to become a strong regional force in research, teaching and transfer and an internationally leading university of the 21st century with regional roots and a global outlook.
The 37-hectare, sustainable UTN campus will form the center of the new Lichtenreuth district in Nuremberg, close to the historic city center. Around 6,000 students, 200 professors and at least 2,000 employees will study and work there. Study programs will integrate aspects of technology, liberal arts, social sciences and natural sciences to ideally prepare students for the interdisciplinary requirements of the new world of work.
Kontakt
Head of UnitCommunication Unit
Deputy Head of UnitCommunication Unit
As part of this year’s campus festival for staff and students, University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN) has, for the first time, awarded the DAAD Prize and DAAD-STIBET scholarships to three outstanding international students and doctoral candidates. The awards honor exceptional academic achievements, social commitment, and intercultural competence. With this award ceremony, UTN is sending a strong signal for its strategy of internationalization.
“We want to be a university where more than 40 percent of students have an international background,” emphasized Isa Jahnke, Founding Vice President for Academic and International Affairs at UTN, in her laudatory speech. “To achieve this, we must create spaces of togetherness, mutual learning, and cultural openness from the very beginning.”
The DAAD Prize, endowed with €1,000, was awarded this year to Débora Nunes Pinto de Oliveira (Brazil), a doctoral candidate in the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) at the AI & Robotics Lab. Débora convinced the jury with her excellent academic background, her deep commitment to teaching and research, and her consistent intercultural and social engagement. Particularly impressive was her thoughtful perspective on the international student experience. In her speech, she said: “International students are, by nature, winners of their journey.”
As part of the DAAD-STIBET program, two graduation scholarships for the summer semester 2025 were also awarded, each worth €350 per month. Both students belong to the first cohort of UTN’s Master’s program in AI & Robotics and are close to completing their studies.
“With the DAAD Prize and the DAAD-STIBET scholarships, UTN underlines its commitment to supporting international talents in a targeted manner – and to providing them with an environment in which they can develop both academically and personally. Débora, Irene, and Suman embody the values we want to live at UTN: excellence, initiative, and cultural openness,” concluded Isa Jahnke in her speech.
Images for Download:
Group Photo of the DAAD Prize | © University of Technology Nuremberg | JPG 299 KB
About the University of Technology Nuremberg
The University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN), founded in 2021, is the first newly established public university in Bavaria since 1978. The UTN is a living laboratory building a university for the age of AI and the rapidly advancing changes in technology, business and society. The UTN strives to become a strong regional force in research, teaching and transfer and an internationally leading university of the 21st century with regional roots and a global outlook.
The 37-hectare, sustainable UTN campus will form the center of the new Lichtenreuth district in Nuremberg, close to the historic city center. Around 6,000 students, 200 professors and at least 2,000 employees will study and work there. Study programs will integrate aspects of technology, liberal arts, social sciences and natural sciences to ideally prepare students for the interdisciplinary requirements of the new world of work.
Kontakt
Peter Diehl
Communication Unit
Agnes Pelzl
Communication Unit