In view of the lack of qualified experts that has been discussed publicly for many years now, the Karlsruhe Faculty of Information Science is looking for new approaches to further increasing the attractiveness of these studies. For this purpose, the faculty will establish a scholarship program to support highly talented students. Companies will pay part of the costs of the studies of one or more students.
Strategic partners of the faculty, such as ABB, andrena objects AG with its office at Karlsruhe, or IBM, Böblingen, have already agreed to grant scholarships from the coming winter semester. Also the Lions Club, Waldbronn, will support the campaign of the Karlsruhe Faculty of Information Science. “It is our objective to give highly talented students the opportunity to study without any financial pressure and to establish contacts to industry at an early point of time”, underlines Professor Ralf Reussner, Vice-Dean of the KIT Faculty of Information Science. “Technically and mathematically talented graduates from secondary schools from all federal states and social levels, who are interested in studying information science at the Universität Karlsruhe, shall no longer consider the shortage of funds an obstacle”, says Reussner.
It is planned to support the scholarship holders from the beginning to the end of their studies for a maximum of ten semesters. “The constant first rank of studies of information science at Karlsruhe in the German university rankings and the high international reputation make the scholarship program attractive for both students and companies”, emphasizes Reussner.
The scholarship holders will be selected by the faculty upon the expiry of the application deadline by the end of July based on their secondary school examination marks and social criteria as those applied by the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (studies foundation of the German people). With the scholarship, the studies fees, for instance, can be paid completely.
Within the future Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Universität Karlsruhe plans to establish inter-faculty scholarship funds. By means of these funds, excellent students shall be supported from the first semester according to the defined objective of the KIT of attracting the best. This shall also apply to the best of the students who shall be enabled to take up studies at Karlsruhe.
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is the merger of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, member of the Helmholtz Association, and the Universität Karlsruhe. This merger will give rise to an institution of internationally excellent research and teaching in natural and engineering sciences. In total, the KIT has 8000 employees and an annual budget of 700 million Euros. The KIT focuses on the knowledge triangle of research – teaching – innovation.
The Karlsruhe institution is a leading European energy research center and plays a visible role in nanosciences worldwide. KIT sets new standards in teaching and promotion of young scientists and attracts top scientists from all over the world. Moreover, KIT is a leading cooperation partner of industry.
na/lg, June 30, 2008