From Islamabad to Germany: My Experience as a DAAD Helmut Schmidt Scholar in Public Policy and Social Protection

My name is Mahnoor Zubair, and I come from Islamabad, Pakistan. I am currently pursuing an MSc in Social Protection at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg in Germany. I received the fully funded DAAD Helmut Schmidt scholarship (Public Policy & Good Governance) to pursue my master's. I previously had 1.5 years of experience working in the international development sector in Pakistan, mainly on developing research proposals, communications material, data analysis, etc.

DAAD Helmut Schmidt Scholarship Details

Pakistani students with a background in social sciences and an interest in public policy can apply to the DAAD Helmut Schmidt Scholarship. The standard DAAD master’s scholarship provides a monthly stipend of €992. They also reimburse flight costs with a standard travel benefit, depending on your country. In addition, DAAD offers various allowances—such as rent subsidies, family support, and language-learning grants—tailored to each recipient’s circumstances. DAAD can be very generous in this regard!

Educational Background

I did a BS in Psychology with a CGPA of 3.69. Compared to other scholarship holders, I do not have a very high GPA – many people assume you need to have a straight 4.0 in every semester to win a fully funded scholarship, but this is not the case. During my bachelor's, I did my best to engage with professors in research, which resulted in having a paper published in a renowned journal just 1 day before I applied to the DAAD Scholarship (very good timing!). I also completed my final year thesis, which received good marks (94/100). I talked about these research experiences in the DAAD motivation letter, which helped my application get selected.

How Did You Prepare for IELTS?

It’s important to research the scholarship requirements before you start your application. Many people will start by preparing generic documents (e.g., a generic motivation letter, giving all the tests like IELTS, GRE) without even knowing what they are applying for. Instead of this, I first looked up the scholarship and read every single document related to it. I knew the requirements by heart and then started preparing documents. This way, every single document that I prepared was tailored heavily for the programs I was applying for.

The only standardized test I took was IELTS, although I later found out it wasn’t even required for my scholarship. However, because I’ve always had strong English skills, I chose to submit my IELTS score to further strengthen my application. My advice for standardized tests is to choose wisely: only invest your time and money in tests that are truly necessary for your scholarship or program and where you are confident you can perform well.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the DAAD Helmut Schmidt Scholarship?

I prepared by doing the following:

1. Carefully reading the requirements: DAAD is known for having a somewhat complex application process, and it can be tricky to gather all the necessary information. I spent several days reviewing both the DAAD website and the university websites, cross-checking their requirements. If I had any confusion, I contacted the universities directly, and they were usually very helpful and prompt in their replies. I avoided relying on random information from social media or student groups and always verified everything through official sources.
2. Watching YouTube videos by DAAD scholarship holders: I focused only on videos created by individuals who had received the scholarship. I avoided generic "education influencer" content that wasn't based on real experience.
3. Reaching out to current scholarship holders on LinkedIn: This needs to be done carefully. I made sure to do thorough research before contacting anyone, asking only thoughtful questions. For example, instead of basic questions like “When is the deadline?” (which are easily found online), I asked about their experiences with the program. Here’s an example of a message I sent:

“Hi Ms. ___, thanks for connecting with me. I actually connected because I'm interested in the MA Social Protection program that you were enrolled in. I'm currently applying to this program under the DAAD scholarship. I wanted to ask about your general experience with the program: do you think the course material, processors, etc, were all good? Do you think it prepared you well for a practical career? Do you recommend it to someone like me? Sorry if it's a lot of questions, I'll be very grateful for your response! 🙂

Many scholarship holders responded positively and offered tips that helped me immensely. Although I didn’t ask anyone to review my documents out of respect for their time, if you ask politely enough, many are willing to offer a quick review, too. The key is to always ask kindly and respectfully.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

It was not just one factor, but rather the overall harmony of the application. My whole story ‘added up’ – my motivation letter was linked to my work experience letter and research proposal, which were in turn linked to my CV and transcript. Every document was prepared with utmost care and personalization – you would not find any mistakes, gaps, or irregularities. Although I later learned that DAAD often allows minor corrections after submission, in my case, everything was already complete and met all requirements.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Nothing!

What Advice Would You Give to Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Research, research, research! Scholarships are made for self-motivated, independent, and capable students. Do not rely too much on others, seek out information on the scholarship proactively, and read as much as possible. Think carefully about every word of your application. What will the scholarship review committee think about it? Pay attention to the small details while safeguarding the synergy of the application as a whole.