Win-win scenario
Plasmatreat sponsors young scientists

The Deutschlandstipendium 2018: The scholarship holders sponsored by Plasmatreat (from left to right) Marco Schmitt, Jenny Celina Classen and Jana-Christin Spangenberg together with Magnus Buske (right), Plasmatreat GmbH (Photo: HAWK/Marius Maasewerd)

Providing incentives for high achievers and maintaining a pool of specialist science and industry professionals are high-priority goals for Germany in the face of global competition. The nationwide scholarship scheme Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship) launched in 2011 helps to achieve these goals.

The project sees the German government, sponsors and universities working in partnership to award annual scholarships of 300 euros per month to talented, committed students of all disciplines regardless of their nationality, income and social background. Private sponsors such as businesses, foundations and private individuals pledge 150 euros which is match-funded by the government.

HAWK auditorium in Hildesheim: 114 students at the HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen were awarded the Deutschlandstipendium on 24 October 2018. (Photo: HAWK/Marius Maasewerd)

Ninety percent of universities are involved in the Deutschlandstipendium scheme, including the HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen. Their role is to approach potential sponsors and select eligible students. Plasmatreat has been a sponsor for several years.

HAWK President Dr. Marc Hudy and HAWK Vice-President for Research and Transfer Prof. apl. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Viöl presented the certificates to the scholarship holders and their sponsors at an award ceremony held on 24 October 2018 in the HAWK auditorium in Hildesheim. Magnus Buske, second son of the Plasmatreat founder, accepted the certificate on behalf of the family business.

The three scholarship holders chosen for Plasmatreat by the HAWK University are all studying at the faculty of science and engineering on the Göttingen campus:

  • Marco Schmitt (27) aims to have his Masters under his belt by autumn 2019. He has already completed an apprenticeship in electrical engineering for devices and systems, a vocational baccalaureate diploma and a four-year bachelor degree at the HAWK based on the German dual system, which combines academic studies and vocational training. Next up, Master of Engineering 'MEng Elektrotechnik/Informationstechnik' (MEng Electrical Engineering/Information Technology). This is his third sponsorship from Plasmatreat. "I am really grateful to my sponsor for the third round of funding", said the scholarship holder, who spends much of his free-time engaged in voluntary work. He went on to say that he was proud to have been awarded the Deutschlandstipendium once again and felt that it was a recognition of his achievements. The financial support would be a great help, enabling him to continue his voluntary work alongside his studies.
  • Jenny Celina Classen (22) has just started her Masters degree specializing in laser and plasma technology after gaining her HAWK Bachelor degree in 'physical technologies'. On completion of this degree, she will be awarded a Master of Science 'MSc Laser- und Plasmatechnik (MSc Laser and Plasma Technology). This field is one of the faculty's main research areas. Together with the Fraunhofer Application Center for Plasma and Photonics (APP), the HAWK has been researching the potential applications of synthetic plasma for several years at this faculty. Jenny Classen explained that even as a child she was fascinated by technology. Physics was her favorite subject at school, prompting her to do an engineering degree at university. "For me, the Deutschlandstipendium is a special recognition of the achievement that lies behind the degree", she explained. "At the same time, I hope that it will introduce me to new companies and so help me decide on a future career.
  • Jana-Christin Spangenberg (23) does not have to think twice before answering when asked where her passion for natural sciences stemmed from: It was all thanks to her grandad, she explained. He was a mathematics and physics teacher who had got her involved in both subjects from an early age. She did a math extension course at school, got a "BEng Physikalische Technologien"(BEng Physical Technologies) from the HAWK and has now decided to study for a Masters. The student is only two semesters from her goal of becoming a Master of Science MSc Laser- und Plasmatechnik (MSc Laser and Plasma Technology). "I regard the Deutschlandstipendium as a great honor", she says. She went on to say that it gives students an opportunity to discover new companies, including the sponsors themselves, which might help them get a job more quickly after graduating.

 

Education, research and innovation are strategic areas for Germany's future, and this is where the sponsors come into their own.

Plasmatreat CEO Christian Buske explains why he and his company are so committed to the scholarship scheme: "The Deutschlandstipendium is a win-win scenario for everyone involved. As an internationally active family business in the cutting-edge technology sector, we consider sponsoring high-achieving young scientists as a sustainable investment in the future. We welcome our scholarship holders with open arms and encourage them to get to know us and our technologies, to complement their theoretical knowledge with practical experience in our company and to apply for a job with us after graduating as they embark on their professional careers."

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