DAAD prize for outstanding international students

v.l.n.r.: Dr. Bentgens, Intl. Ofice; Prof. Burchard, Dekan; Vrakshita Kothari; J. Schätz-Al Mahamid, Intl. Business Office; C. Lex Intl. Office

We congratulate Ms. Kothari on the award!

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst DAAD) is a joint organisation of German universities. It uses public funds to promote international academic cooperation, in particular the exchange of students and scientists. The international students at our universities enrich the university community both culturally and academically.

To honour this, the DAAD provides universities with funds to award a prize to outstanding international students every year.

This year, at the suggestion of the Dean of the Business School and after a university-wide selection process, the prize was awarded to Ms Vrakshita Kothari.

Ms Kothari came to Trier University of Applied Sciences from India with little knowledge of the German language to study International Business, and is now in her seventh (and final) semester. She is currently completing her compulsory internship at a company in Frankenthal.

Ms Kothari has distinguished herself on the one hand through her good academic performance.

In addition to her exceptional academic achievements, Ms Kothari also stands out through her social commitment in everyday university life. From winter semester 2023/2024 to summer semester 2024, she served as an elected member of the faculty council in the Business School and was, among other things, highly valued as an extremely competent point of contact for the concerns of international students.

In our view, Ms Kothari is a prime example of the successful integration of an international (non-EU) student with limited language skills into the German higher education system.