Academic Success and Awards for international students
Voluntary commitment honoured
Every year, Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) honours international students’ academic and social contributions. Awards were handed over during the Academic Gala end of November. In her opening speech, JLU President Prof. Dr. Katharina Lorenz emphasized that the university should be "a lighthouse guiding the way in stormy times."
As part of the Gala, numerous scientists received awards as well, known as the "JLU Oscars." These awards, given in various disciplines, highlight the unifying power of science that transcends borders while strongly reminding us that migration, diversity, and academic solidarity are among the core values of modern universities. Here you can read more about the Academic Gala 2025 (in German).
The DAAD Prize for outstanding achievements of international students was given to Anastasiia Marsheva, a doctoral student of Russian origin. Marsheva, who is pursuing her doctorate in cultural studies, draws attention with her work on the identity construction of Eastern European-origin migrants in Germany and the Czech Republic. In addition to her methodological competence, she was awarded for learning Czech for field research and actively participating in volunteer activities inside and outside the university. Anastasiia Marsheva is also among the founders of a civil society initiative (“Faden e.V.”) aimed at supporting women academics of migrant origin. The focus of Faden’s activities lies in improving the women’s career opportunities in Germany by offering language classes, skills trainings and networking opportunities.
Lidiia Shumska, a student of Ukrainian origin, received the Prize of the Giessener Hochschulgesellschaft for outstanding achievements of international students. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies on Eastern Europe at JLU and is supported by the DAAD “Future Ukraine” scholarship. She holds an Honours degree in Public Management and Administration from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
Alongside her academic work, Shumska is highly engaged in civic and educational activities. She is a member of the Gießen Municipality Foreigners Advisory Board, a long-standing EU Youth Ambassador (EU Neighbours East), and has organized international workshops and events on democracy, human rights, and sustainability. She has coordinated initiatives to strengthen the political participation of Ukrainian communities in Germany and the EU, initiated the “Unissued Diplomas” photo exhibition at JLU Giessen, conducted educational workshops at schools, and is an active member of Junge Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde Gießen/Marburg, contributing to events on Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
This award emphasizes that international students are not only individuals pursuing education but also active and responsible members of the society they are part of.