Chemistry students honoured

In 2023, three students received a scholarship from the Kaufmann-Peters-Foundation, two of the scholarship holders also got awarded the Dr Reuß-Prize.

Paul, Lukas and Hannah have joy written all over their faces. All of them were selected for a scholarship from the Kaufmann-Peters-Foundation for their outstanding achievements in their chemistry studies. They will now receive a monthly stipend of € 300 for a maximum of two years. Hannah and Lukas had another reason to celebrate since they both were also awarded the Dr Reuß-Prize. These two awards were made possible by the Dr Nikolaus and Dr Mira-Reuß-Foundation and the Kaufmann-Peters-Foundation. Both foundations were established in the assets of Heidelberg University respecting the wishes of the founder, with the latter going back to the last will of Hanna Kaufmann. Her wish was to support students of chemistry. The university uses the proceeds of the foundations to honour high-achieving and motivated bachelor‘s and master‘ students in the field of chemistry, every year. The Dr Reuß-Prize is aimed at above-average graduates in organic and inorganic chemistry.  

We asked Paul, Lukas and Hannah what the scholarship / prize means to them, what their future plans are and what they like about their subject. 

Paul completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Heidelberg University and is currently doing a master’s degree in chemistry. What he loves most about his studies is the connection between practice and theory as well as the team spirit and the good atmosphere among his fellow students. He is still happy to have chosen Heidelberg as a place to study. Right from the start, Heidelberg University’s status as an university of excellence as well as its research and teaching convinced him but also the city with its small and lively alleyways and the forest almost on his doorstep. During his master’s degree, Paul is intending to spend a semester in France. The scholarship from the Kaufmann-Peters-Foundation it really helpful since it allows him to plan his stay abroad without any financial worries. After his studies, he would like to do a doctorate. 

Like Paul, he was immediately enchanted by the charm of the city as well as Heidelberg University’s excellent reputation and campus. He spent his first two years of his bachelor’s degree at Heidelberg University before leaving for a year abroad to study at the University of Bristol in the UK, in his third year. 

Lukus will also do his master’s degree in Heidelberg since he has always felt in good hands, here and at this same time challeged und supported. Also, he liked the focus on research as part of many research internships during his degree programme. Since no specialisation is initially planned, he has the possibility to get to know all areas of chemistry (inorganic, organical and physical) in depth before making a qualified decision regarding the field he would like to do a doctorate in. At the moment, Lukas can rule out neither an academic career nor a career in industry for his professional future. Maybe the scholarship from the Kaufmann-Peters-Foundation with its non-material options will help him make a decision. This is also why he considers the scholarship, not least because of this, to be a great priviliege.

Like Paul, Hannah is also in her first master’s semester in chemistry after finishing her bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She already loved physics at school. During this time, she got in touch with Heidelberg University for the first time thanks to a school internship arranged by the Friends of the Chemistry Olympiad (FChO) as part of the selection phase of the International Chemistry Olympiad. Hannah liked this internship which confirmed her desire to study chemistry. As it was the case with Paul and Lukas, her decision to go to Heidelberg University was also influenced by her enthusiasm for the city of Heidelberg itself. When it comes to her studies in chemistry, Hannah really loves the high proportion of practical work and the focus on research, especially in the master’s programme. She also appreciates the mutual support of her fellow students. During her master’s degree, she would like to go to France or England for an Erasmus stay and cover as many different fields of chemistry as possible as part of her research internships. After her master’s degree, she intends to do a doctorate. Hannah is grateful for the scholarship from the Kaufmann-Peters-Foundation that allows her to fully concentrate on her studies and not to have to work during her time-consuming studies.