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Tridib is currently pursuing his Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at Technical University of Munich (TUM) Asia. Having received the DAAD scholarship for three consecutive semesters, we speak to him to find out more about his experience with applying and receiving the scholarships, which are open to all TUM Asia students.
Q: How did you come to hear about the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst/ German Academic Exchange Service) scholarships?
Tridib: Hello! I initially discovered the DAAD scholarships from the my course’s page on TUM Asia’s website. We were given a briefing during our programme and my Aerospace Engineering programme coordinator, Ms. Rodiah, provided all the necessary details that I was keen to know about the scholarship.
Q: How was the application process like for you?
Tridib: It was very smooth. Of course, the most important thing was putting thought into the application, which took a lot of time, but the procedure itself was well conducted. TUM Asia handled the whole procedure well. We were informed about the whole procedure in a very timely fashion.
Q: How was the process like to prepare the documents required for submission?
Tridib: In our application, we would firstly be required to complete the application form. We were also required to attach other documents, such as our curriculum vitae, transcripts, proof of all the achievements that we mentioned in our CV, our motivation letter, as well as the documents to support what we wrote about in our motivation letter. It will take you approximately twenty minutes to get it done, provided if you already have them ready on your computer. The part that takes the most amount of time, and it should, is the letter of motivation. This is the most crucial part of the application, thus I would encourage everyone applying to spend time working on it. On average, it took me around two weeks to write a letter that I was happy with.
“From attending conferences to pursuing my master’s thesis in Munich, or just pursuing my masters in Singapore itself, I am really amazed and scared to say that all of it would be in serious jeopardy if not totally impossible, without the DAAD scholarship. I cannot be more thankful to them.”
Q: How has receiving the DAAD scholarship supported your studies at TUM Asia?
Tridib: Receiving the scholarship has impacted me profusely. I am able to focus on my studies with ease. From attending conferences to pursuing my master’s thesis in Munich, or just pursuing my masters in Singapore itself, I am really amazed and scared to say that all of it would be in serious jeopardy if not totally impossible, without the DAAD scholarship. I cannot be more thankful to them.
Q: What advice do you have for students who are aiming for the scholarship?
Tridib: Be an active person. Try to achieve something every single day. Sometimes the deadlines will make it seem like you do not have a lot of new things to write compared to your previous application. However, that will really test on how active you are and how much you can achieve in just a few months. And of course, study hard! It is an academic scholarship, thus your grades will be an important factor. Remember to be honest with your application and portray yourself in the best light. Instead of writing long applications, your objective would be to try to convey as much relevant information as possible in a concise manner.
Q: Do you have any suggestions to improve the DAAD scholarships for future students?
Tridib: It is very well structured and overall, I would say that it is near perfection but if hard-pressed, the only thing that comes to mind is the early application for first semester students. In the early days, especially for international students, the initial cost of settling in a new country is a huge stress. Therefore, if they could apply for the scholarship at the time of application and receive the results by the time they are about to join the course, this initial period of settling in could be much more hospitable for them. This would be particularly helpful for students such as myself, who had to really budget every single dollar because of the huge difference between the Singapore dollar and my home currency.
Q: How do you spend your free time outside of your studies?
Tridib: I enjoy taking pictures of the places that I visit during my free time, such as different parts of Singapore and other countries in Asia. Photography really had a huge hand in keeping me rejuvenated for my studies and I am positive that such a hobby can help future students too.
About the TUM Asia-DAAD Scholarships
TUM Asia is dedicated to grooming and recognising students for the hard work they put into their studies, while maintaining a strong extra-curricular activity record. Students who demonstrate academic excellence, intellectual capability and curiosity, sound character, and a passion for creativity and innovation deserve to be rewarded for their achievements and efforts.
While TUM Asia scholarships are awarded to candidates during the admission process, TUM Asia-DAAD scholarships are awarded to students during their candidature of study. The DAAD scholarships are funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as part of the ‘German Study Programmes Abroad’ initiative. All students currently enrolled in Bachelor and Master programmes at TUM Asia are welcome to apply as long as they show evidence of excellent academic results and maintain a strong extra-curricular activity record.
The university awards over S$500,000 (EUR 359,000) worth of DAAD scholarships per year. DAAD scholarships help to give students an opportunity to focus on their studies, by lessening the financial burdens of awardees. Each DAAD scholarship offers an attractive stipend. The allowance comes in handy to meet the ever-rising costs of students, motivating them to do their best to clinch the scholarships offered.
The DAAD scholarship given to Bachelor students provides support for travel and mobility as well as a monthly allowance. Some students personally shared that the funds came in handy to cover their Overseas Immersion Programme expenses and expressed their thanks upon receiving the award.
The DAAD scholarship provided to MSc students includes tuition fee support and a monthly allowance, and it is valued at up to S$8625 (EUR 5750) per award received. A distinctive feature of the DAAD stipends is that these awards are given out on a per-semester basis. This incentivises students to strive for better results, since it is possible for students to obtain multiple awards across their period of study.
30% of TUM Asia’s overall student cohort were awarded DAAD Scholarships in 2019. TUM Asia is pleased that the overall performance of students has improved with the disbursement of our DAAD scholarships. Students welcome the scholarship awards, which help to take away their financial concerns, allowing them to concentrate more on their studies.
TUM Asia is committed to supporting students throughout their academic journey and providing an all-rounded education to all students.
Find out more about the TUM Asia – DAAD Scholarships here.
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Tridib Banerjee studied in the Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering programme. More information about the programme here >>