128/2025 21.11.2025
Maedeh Amini, student of the Master's program Cognitive Science, is awarded the DAAD Prize. The award recognizes Amini's outstanding academic achievements and her remarkable social commitment.
"We are proud to have a student like Ms. Amini at our university. She deserves every form of support and recognition," said Prof. Dr. Jochen Oltmer, Vice President for Studies and Teaching at the University, at the award ceremony. The DAAD prize was presented at a ceremony in the Bohnenkamphaus in the Botanical Gardens of Osnabrück University, where 56 German scholarships were also awarded.
Born in Iran in 1996, Amini has been studying for a Master's degree in Cognitive Science since 2023 - first in Iran and since 2024 in Osnabrück. Prior to this, she successfully completed a Bachelor's degree in English Language Teaching and a Master's degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Iran and then worked as a teacher. Her academic achievements have already been recognized several times, including the "Exceptional Talent Prize" in Iran and in Germany with the Scholarship "Landesstipendium Niedersachsen" and the DAAD study completion scholarship.
Maedeh Amini was already involved in helping children and young people in remote areas in Iran and took part in Red Cross first aid training to help people in the event of earthquakes or flooding. Alongside her studies, she worked as a research assistant at Sharif University of Technology in Iran. In Osnabrück, Amini is involved in the YMCA, for which she supports disadvantaged young people as a tutor at the Carolinum grammar school. She also offers workshops on intercultural dialog as part of the "My Education and I" initiative and is a member of "Persian Students of Osnabrück", which promotes exchange between students from Iran and Germany.
After completing her Master's degree, Maedeh Amini is aiming to do a Doctorate in Cognitive Science in order to contribute to socially responsible artificial intelligence through her research.
"Maedeh Amini is an outstanding example of how academic excellence and social commitment can go hand in hand," emphasized Malte Paolo Benjamins, Head of the International Office at Osnabrück University. "The DAAD prize not only honors her impressive academic achievements, but also her constant efforts to build bridges between people and cultures."
The prize, which is endowed with €1,000, recognizes international students who are completing their studies in Germany and have distinguished themselves through special academic achievements and extraordinary or intercultural commitment. It is awarded once a year per university.
Further information for editors:
Annika Große, Osnabrück University
International Office
annika.grosse@uos.de
