Through the Hilde Domin Program, the DAAD offers scholarships to at-risk undergraduate and doctoral students who are denied access to education or fundamental rights in their home countries. The goal is to enable them to pursue their studies or doctoral research safely in Germany. In addition to financial support, the program includes supplementary training in the social sciences to help them contribute to the long-term development of their home countries, Germany, or other countries.

Nomination and Selection Process: Candidates for the Hilde Domin Programcannot apply on their own but must be nominated by an institution based in Germany in the fields of academia, human rights protection, or democracy promotion—such as a university. Nominations are submitted via an online form, after which the DAAD contacts suitable candidates and invites them to apply. Multiple nominations do not confer any advantages. Only candidates with sufficient language proficiency (B2 in German or English) and good academic prospects may be nominated.

Nomination requirements: Students and doctoral candidates in all fields of study except medicine, pharmacy, and law may be nominated if they: (1) can credibly demonstrate a threat to their safety; (2) hold academic credentials that qualify them to pursue studies according toAnabin; (3) are not residing in Germany or the EU at the time of nomination.

Further information on the nomination requirements, the duration of funding, scholarship benefits, and application deadlines can be foundhere. Applications for nomination by the University of Siegen for the planned start of studies in the 2027/28 winter semester must be submitted by September 7, 2026. The University of Siegen can only nominate candidates who meet the requirements for a master’s program or a doctoral program at the University of Siegen. There is no automatic entitlement to nomination by the University of Siegen. Interested parties should contact:

Contact person for prospective doctoral students: Dr. Nina Fenn
Phone: +49 271/740-4244
Email: nina.fenn@zv.uni-siegen.de

Contact person for prospective master’s students: Joanna Zimmermann
Phone: +49 (0) 271/740-5090
Email: joanna.zimmermann@zv.uni-siegen.de