Studienstiftung
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The German National Academic Foundation or German National Merit Foundation (German: Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, short: Studienstiftung) is an organisation to promote students of outstanding intellectual abilities and personality. It is financed mainly by the German government. It was founded in 1925, abolished under the Nazi regime and re-founded in 1948.
Members of the Studienstiftung receive financial subsidies. Probably even more importantly, they can participate in a wide range of seminars and summer schools, often organised by the most reputed professors of certain disciplines, language courses and special activities.
The program is restricted to German students or foreign students studying in Germany. Students cannot apply themselves but they are suggested by professors or school headmasters (when graduating from the Gymnasium with best marks). A so suggested person is examined in a selection seminar, testing for both his intellectual abilities and his personality. It is also possible to access membership of the foundation as a prize for certain federal competitions.
The Studienstiftung promotes about 0.3% of the German student population.
One can argue that the need for a such an organisation is specially high in a country with a rather homogeneous range of universities, many of which are well reputed, but none of which would be called an Elite university (like Oxford University, Harvard University or the Ecole Normale Superieure). It is here where many gifted young personalities make contacts with similarly interested and highly motivated students.
[edit] See also
- Schweizerische Studienstiftung
- Homepage of the Studienstiftung: http://www.studienstiftung.de
