newsletter >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Information Centre Singapore, October | 2017
Topics of this issue
Editorial, Announcement p.1
Recent Events ..............p. 2
Upcoming Events...........p. 3
Foundation Year............p. 4
Testimonial................... p. 5
Events............................p. 6
Contact us
Online:
www.ic.daad.de/singapore/
www.facecook.com/
daad.singapore
Email:
[email protected] Phone: (+65) 6223 4226
Dear readers,
The end of the year is approaching quickly
but we have a few more events in store for
our readers. Check out the information for the
Research Symposium as well as the German
Opportunities Day!
In this newsletter, we cover the topic of
foundation courses at Studienkollegs, which
is mostly relevant for Polytechnic Students in
Singapore. While it adds a year to their
studies, this is definitely not a lost year as
they learn valuable skills just like Vanessa,
who attended a Studienkolleg, can attest to.
Read more on page 4 and 5.
Scholarship applicants, please check the side
bar on Page 2 for upcoming deadlines!
Also, be sure not to miss any events, calls for
applications and updates by regularly
checking our Facebook page
www.facebook.com/daad.singapore
as well as our website http://ic.daad.de/
singapore/
We hope that you will enjoy reading this
edition of our newsletter. If you have any
questions regarding the content, please do
not hesitate to contact us via info@daad-
singapore.org or Facebook Messenger.
Best regards,
Kerstin Schulze & Claudia Finner
Publisher
Deutscher Akademischer
Austauschdienst e.V.
(DAAD)
Kennedyallee 50
D-53175 Bonn
Contact
German Academic Ex-
change Service (DAAD),
Information Centre Singa-
pore
c/o Goethe-Institut
136 Neil Road
Singapore 088865
Editor
Claudia Finner
Photos
DAAD Singapore.........p. 2
DAAD/Hagenguth........p. 4
Vanessa Cheong …….p. 5
Editorial
Attend the SEAMEO-DAAD Lecture Series
More information on https://bit.ly/seameo-daad-lecture-series
EVENT
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DAAD, Information Centre Singapore, October | 2017
Recent Events
NTU GEM Fair - 6th September
The GEM Fair informs NTU students of their
options to go on a student exchange and ex-
plore their different options. Partner universi-
ties and country representatives presented
their offers and the DAAD provided infor-
mation on Germany.
Falling Walls Lab - 18th September
Academics, entrepreneurs and professionals
from all disciplines presented their research
works, business models, innovative projects
and ideas in 3 minutes.
We'd like to congratulate the winners: 1st
Place: Dr Siti Zarina Zainul Rahim (NUS)
and 2nd Place: Mr Kaushik Parida (NTU),
who will both go to Germany to present their
ideas at the Falling Walls Lab in Berlin on 8th
November.
To learn more about some ideas presented at
the event, please check http://www.tnp.sg/
news/singapore/no-more-scars-nus-student-
designs-cooking-tools-visually-disabled
SSAG Pre-Departure Dinner - 16th Sep-
tember
Each year, the members of the Singapore
Student's Association of Germany (SSAG)
meet for a pre-departure dinner to exchange
information on their past and upcoming time
in Germany. The DAAD is always happy to
join them and meet the students at Paulaner
Brauhaus and help if they have any remaining
questions.
Overseas Family School - 20th September
This year's University Fair at the Overseas
Family School saw many interested parents
and students visiting our DAAD booth and en-
quiring about studying in Germany.
Study in Europe - 30th September, 10am to 5pm at Suntec City Concourse Level 3
With 13 countries from Europe present, the
DAAD was proud to represent Germany at this
event. 1,900 visitors attended the fair and
many of them took the opportunity to chat with
DAAD and university representatives from 3
different Germany universities at the booth.
More detailed information was also presented
during 2 talks by the DAAD and the universi-
ties.
Scholarship Deadlines
If you are planning to ap-
ply for a scholarship,
please note the following
deadlines:
15 October 2017
- Research Grants – One-
Year Grants
- Research Grants – Doctor-
al Programmes in Germany
- Research Grants – Bi-
nationally Supervised Doc-
toral Degrees
- Study Visits for Academ-
ics, Artists and Architects
31 October 2017
- Study Scholarships for
Foreign Graduates in the
Field of the Performing Arts
- Study Scholarships for
Foreign Graduates in the
Field of Music
30 November 2017
- Study Scholarships for
Foreign Graduates in the
Fields of Fine Art, Film,
Design/Visual Communica-
tion and Film
01 December 2017
- University Summer Cours-
es offered in Germany for
Foreign Students and Grad-
uates
More information at
www.funding-guide.de
APPLY
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DAAD, Information Centre Singapore, October | 2017
German Opportunities Day -
28th October, 1-5pm, National Library
The German Opportunities Day gives you
an excellent chance to get to know Germany
better. German trial classes for kids by the
Goethe Institut, an interactive screen by the
Embassy, presentations about studying in
Germany by the DAAD at 1pm, a German
puppet theatre for the little ones, company
representatives with information regarding
internships for Singaporean students and
much more await you at the National Li-
brary.
You can check the exact event schedule
below.
Upcoming Events
Symposium 16th + 17th October
The DAAD, together with TUM Asia, is
partnering up with the Employment and
Employability Institute (e2i) and other local
organisations to hold a two-day symposium
on 16th and 17th October on the topic
"Beyond the Hype: The Impact of Industrie
4.0 our Social and Political Landscape".
There will be presentations, discussion
sessions and a site visit, which will give the
attendees plenty of opportunities to discuss,
network, exchange ideas and forge new
connections. Find out more about this event
on page 6.
The following videos of
the Study-in.de
campaign will walk you
through the process of
applying and studying
in Germany step by
step:
Step 1: Find programme
and university
Step 2: Meet the require-
ments
Step 3: Finance your
studies
Step 4: Apply for your
programme
Step 5: Enter and stay in
Germany
Step 6: Find accommoda-
tion
Step 7: Get help
Step 8: Enrol at your
university
Step 9: Take care of the
formalities
Step 10: Organize your
studies
Watch
UPCOMING EVENT
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DAAD, Information Centre Singapore, October | 2017
Foundation Courses at Studienkollegs
What is a Studienkolleg?
Studienkollegs in Germany offer so called
"Foundation Courses" for students, who do
not have direct admission to German univer-
sities with their school leaving certificates.
Can anyone attend a Studienkolleg?
Each country has different pre-requisites and
regulations on who can and who has to take a
foundation course in order to study in Germa-
ny. For Singaporean students, the
Studienkolleg offers a path to apply to
German Universities of Applied Sciences for
Polytechnic Students, who otherwise would
not qualify to study in Germany.
Polytechnic students can only be exempted
from the Foundation Course if they graduate
with a diploma 'with merit' or have an ac-
ceptance letter from NUS or NTU. They can
only apply to courses in the field of their previ-
ous study.
NOTE: It is not possible to apply to a
Studienkolleg if your A-Level results were
insufficient or the course requirements (for
example lack of second language) are not
met.
What courses are offered at a
Studienkolleg?
The Studienkolleg helps you bridge the gap in
your education and to prepare you for your
chosen degree path. Foundation courses are
offered for several pathways and adapted to
your choice. Courses are tailored for different
fields and whether you want to study at a Uni-
versity or at a University of Applied Sciences.
You will have German classes to bring you up
to C1 level, as well as subjects relevant to your
field.
COURSES FOR UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED
SCIENCES
TI-course: for technical and engineering de-
grees
WW-course: for economics and business de-
grees
GD-course: for design and art degrees
SW-course: for social science degrees
How do I apply to a Studienkolleg?
This depends on what and where you want to
study. In some cases you apply to uni-assist or
in other instances have to apply directly to the
Studienkolleg and then to your chosen univer-
sity. You will need to enquire with the universi-
ty of your choice.
What are the conditions to apply?
Courses at the Studienkolleg are taught in Ger-
man, therefore applicants will need at least B1
level of German to apply and take the admis-
sion test. Check the sidebar on the left for links
to German courses.
What fees are involved?
Per semester you can expect 100-400 Euros in
fees. Living costs in Germany amount to about
800 Euros per month.
You can find more information under http://
studienkollegs.de/home.html and read about a
student's experience on the next page.
Learning German before
the Studienkolleg
In Singapore
You can learn German al-
ready in Singapore, for ex-
ample at the Goethe Institut.
https://www.goethe.de/ins/
sg/en/index.html
Intensive Courses in Ger-
many
Another alternative is going
to Germany and take exten-
sive courses. To reach B1
level without any previous
knowledge, you can expect
to take about 5-6 months.
www.uni-german.de
www.fadaf.de
www.goethe.de
Online
Consider starting to learn
German online at
https://www.deutsch-
uni.com
Read
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DAAD, Information Centre Singapore, October | 2017
Studienkolleg and Foundation Courses - What do students say?
Vanessa Cheong Kel Ly: Graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Landscape Architecture
Studienkolleg: TI-Kurs at Studienkolleg Coburg
Bachelor: Landscape Architecture at the University of Applied Sciences FH Weihenstephan
Why did you decide to attend a Studienkolleg and apply for a university in Germany rather than at home or in
another country?
I wanted to pursue my studies in Landscape Architecture, however, the Universities in Singapore offered only courses
that focused more on Architecture rather than only Landscape Architecture. Studying in Germany was not initially my
first choice. It was during my internship that broadened my knowledge about Germany, as I was placed under a
German project supervisor at that period of time. The English-speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, and
United States were actually my first choices. However, the tuition fees were extremely costly.
Can you tell us about the application process?
I remember searching high and low for answers to the many questions I had about the application until I chanced upon
DAAD. I couldn’t remember who assisted me but the staff was very kind in explaining the required paper work and
steps I needed to prepare for my education path.
There was a lot of paper work required but the preparation checklist I received did help me in every step. I applied on
my own directly to the Studienkolleg. I had to take an entrance exam which included tests in German and Maths. After
passing the Feststellungsprüfung, I also applied on my own directly to the university.
How did the Studienkolleg help you to prepare for University?
I had to do the Technical course in Studienkolleg due to my qualification from Singapore. The subjects taught were
German, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, IT, and Technical Drawings.
Personally, I would describe Studienkolleg for a polytechnic graduate as a A’Levels crash course taught in German.
What were the best parts about the Studienkolleg?
The best part was meeting many people from different countries. It
was nice to encourage one another to converse in German and help
each another. Some were better in German and some were better in
Maths or Sciences, and everyone was helping each other out. The
classes in Studienkolleg would mostly end by afternoon, so besides
revising for tests, we still had time for having fun/parties and also
trying different kinds of food cooked by the fellow course mates.
Anything else you’d like to add that will help other students to
consider/decide to go the path to study in Germany via a
Studienkolleg?
The beginning is always the hardest. And I would say Studienkolleg
did give me an insight to how things will be like in the university.
Learning a new language is challenging enough and what more to
attend lectures and be surrounded by people speaking in a foreign
language? The 2 semesters in Studienkolleg ensured me that I
wouldn’t be intimidated by the worrying questions I had before. It
prepared me for the Bachelor course that was only taught in German
and also helped me not to be afraid to speak up during lectures or to
converse with my fellow course mates when working on group projects.
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DAAD, Information Centre Singapore, October | 2017
SYMPOSIUM on Industrie 4.0, 16th - 17th October
Register at https://tum-asia.edu.sg/i4symp2017/
UPCOMING EVENT At a Glance
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more information from the
DAAD and about study-
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Subscribe to selected
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Follow interesting up-
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