DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Scholarship Success Story: Bangladeshi Student’s Journey to a Fully Funded Master’s in Germany

I am Nawshin Tabassum. I completed my Bachelor's in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a strong motive to work for the greater good of my society. My academic profile reflects this as I attained the 1st position in my class with a CGPA of 3.78 out of 4 in my undergraduate studies. In the meantime, I particularly enjoyed the research as it gives me the platform to translate my education into something productive, and I decided to pursue my career as a gender academician. As the DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme (Master’s Scholarship for Public Policy and Good Governance) is specially designed to prepare young graduates for their professional life with practice-oriented courses, as a novice researcher like myself, I find it an extremely good opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in the field of social and economic development.

DAAD Scholarship Details

I received two fully funded Master’s offers in 2021. The first one is a Master of Arts in Social Protection Systems at the Bonn Rhein Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Another one is the Graduate Assistantships for the Master’s program in Communication and Development Studies at Ohio University, USA. I ended up taking the offer from Germany as the DAAD Scholarship comes from the German Federal Government, hence it was more prestigious and guaranteed better funding. I used to get monthly scholarships (currently € 992 per month), health insurance coverage in Germany, appropriate travel allowances for travel between Germany and my home country, a study and research grant, digital allowance, rent subsidies, and a family supplement.

Educational Background

I believe community involvement and job experience are crucial for the DAAD Scholarship, as it intends to promote good governance and civil society structures in developing and emerging countries. This is why not only CGPA but also educational background and dedication to societal development are very important for this scholarship.

As a student, I was a member of the WGS Earth and Environment Club, where we used to raise awareness to build a safer campus for women and to sustain a green environment. I was also a member of the Study Circle wing of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad. In this wing, I get to work with the grassroots feminist activists of our country and advocate to tackle different emerging problems with my departmental knowledge. This wing has helped me to spread my networking as well as influenced me to gain practical knowledge to bring adequate authenticity to my research work. That is why I have joined the field of gender and social exclusion at the United International University. The different case studies of socially marginalized sections of university students helped me to understand the multifaceted problems of students of the urban community, which I can translate into my future research projects. I also worked as a Research Assistant at UNDP Bangladesh for the National Human Development Report 2021.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to different institutions?

When I decided to get a foreign master’s degree, I started to prepare for IELTS. I brought a lot of practice books for my reading and writing skills. For listening and speaking, I started to consume more English media, like watching movies and podcasts. At the same time, there are many YouTube channels that specifically talks about these tests and give many tips which helped me a lot. Luckily, after 3 months of preparation, I was able to score Band 8 out of 9.

How Did You Prepare to apply to DAAD Scholarships?

I first looked at the DAAD webpage and started to check for their specific requirement for the scholarship application. As I didn’t have 2 years of job experience, I could not apply to most of the programmes. Fortunately, I saw they offer the Helmut Schmidt Scholarship in disciplines that are of special relevance for social, political, and economic development, preparing students in a practice-oriented course for responsible positions in or for their home regions.

After going through the circular, I realised that I fit all the criteri,a which include:

• a well-qualified first university degree and above-average grades (upper third) in Social and Political Sciences, Law, Economics, Public Policy and Administration
• willing to actively contribute to the social, political, and economic development of their home countries/regions
• who have already gained practical experience relevant for the programme (professional experience, internships, political/social commitment)

It is also very convenient that DAAD does not ask for a German Language requirement, as after securing the scholarship, they taught the language with their own funding. For my application, I started to collect my academic transcripts, a recommendation letter, job experience letters, and other certificates that prove my community involvement. But I put most effort into my motivation letter as this is the single most important document in my application file. I thoroughly researched what my intended university is looking for in a candidate and highlighted those parts in my letter. I also tried to convince through the letter that no university in my home country provides a degree in the Social Protection System, but as I am working in the social exclusion sector, I find this body of knowledge to be extremely crucial.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I think being from a developing country, the community I serve, and my research background really worked in my favour in securing the scholarships. At the same time, in my letter, I tried to put emphasis on gaining practical skills to design and analyse sustainable social protection policy, which would help me to work for poor women of my country who are intersected by different dimensions of marginality, and it resonates with the scholarship committee.

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

I think I would have worked on my networking skills more to connect with a wider range of researchers if I could start my journey again. As an introvert, I tried my best, and despite my best efforts, I also worked as a research assistant at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability. It adds a lot of value to my research profile, and I got exposure to a very sophisticated research community, which I am very proud of. But at the same time, I do think I could have used the easily accessible tools of going to events and meeting more people for professional networking.

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

First, I think you should keep some options in mind, as fate can be very dramatic. So even if you have one goal, you need to determine 2-3 options to reach that point. Second, any kind of experience matters as long as you have the proper paperwork to prove it. So, I would say work hard in your undergrad in all the curriculum and extracurricular activities, and make sure you have the documents to prove your work. Third, networking always helps to keep good relations with your professors and seniors who think well of you.