DAAD Prize for outstanding achievement and commitment

This year's German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) prize at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) goes to Master's student Tatenda Kondo. Born in Zimbabwe, she is studying PPE - Philosophy, Politics and Economics - in Witten. Influenced by her own experiences, she helps other international students to settle in at university and integrate in Germany. With this award, the UW/H recognises this special commitment as well as the student's outstanding academic achievements.

In addition to opportunities and enrichment, studying abroad also brings challenges such as language barriers, a new culture and a different university system. Tatenda Kondo has been in Germany since 2022. Outside of her studies, she is active in the UW/H mentoring programme as a contact person for new students from abroad. She would like to expand this programme in the future and help international students - especially those from Africa - get started with her own initiative: "It's the little things that count: a pick-up service from the airport, a starter pack with warm clothes, tips for public transport or university life," reports Tatenda Kondo. Her initiative is intended to strengthen the work of the International Office at UW/H and also provide support with basic problems such as finding accommodation, dealing with authorities and financing. For Tatenda, both integration and community are important: "I want to create a safe space for students from Zimbabwe where they can talk about worries and new impressions, share experiences, but also laugh and live out their own culture."

A role model for initiative and cultural exchange

"Tatenda Kondo is a prime example of how international students with commitment and initiative can succeed in integrating quickly and sustainably into our university and contributing to its success," says Prof. Dr Joachim Zweynert, Head of the PPE degree programme. At the same time, he emphasises the academic success of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) prizewinner: "Tatenda Kondo has achieved excellent grades in the course of her studies to date. This is a more than remarkable achievement for a student who primarily studied languages in the completely different education system in her home country."

The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Prize, which is funded by the Federal Foreign Office, honours international students who enrich the higher education landscape through their experiences and diversity. The award, which is endowed with 1,000 euros, promotes the visibility of international students and emphasises their importance for cultural exchange and diversity at German universities.