Recognising students who distinguish themselves through their commitment to the common good and society. This is the aim of the “BRAWO-Gemeinwohlpreis”, which is awarded annually by Volksbank BRAWO, the EngagementZentrum as the bank's community-oriented subsidiary and Ostfalia University of Applied Science. This year, the prizes were presented by Claudia Kayser, Head of the Wolfsburg branch of Volksbank BRAWO, and Matthias Marx from the EngagementZentrum at the first semester welcome ceremony on the Wolfenbüttel campus. "This award recognises exceptional voluntary work and is a symbol of our appreciation for those who make a special contribution to the well-being of our society," explained Claudia Kayser, Head of the Wolfsburg branch of Volksbank BRAWO and Chairwoman of the BRAWO Stiftergemeinschaft. "It is impressive how many different honorary positions have been held by the students, some of them for a very long time - the jury had a hard time, each and every one of them deserved to be honoured."
Adrian Beichler (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology) received the award for his wide-ranging involvement in various committees such as the student council of his faculty and the General Student Committee (AStA) of Ostfalia, as well as for his commitment in Immenrode, where he is in charge of the confirmation holiday seminar of the Protestant church, for example, and is also active in the Bürgergemeinschaft e.V. and the volunteer fire brigade.
Moataz Hawsheh (Faculty of Computer Science) was honoured for his commitment to the orientation and participation of refugees. Since 2016, the student has volunteered as a translator and interpreter for German, Arabic, Persian and English in various refugee networks and provides support during visits to authorities, doctors' appointments and counselling sessions.
Lena Traichel (Faculty of Transport, Sport, Tourism and Media) received the prize for her voluntary work in politics and sport. Among other things, she is an elected member of the Langwedel municipal council and is involved in the youth, sports and social committee. She is also involved in the women's board of SV Holtebüttel, as a volunteer at SV Werder Bremen home match days and has been volunteering to organise youth trips during the summer holidays since 2022.
Noah Möller (Faculty of Transport, Sports, Tourism and Media) was awarded a special prize for "Intergenerational digital skills teaching". In his home community of Lindhorst, the student organises and runs a monthly media skills course for senior citizens on a voluntary basis. An average of 25 people regularly take part. Contents include: Writing messages, setting up a Wi-Fi connection, sending photos, internet safety, app use, digital communication. The course consists of a mixture of a practical introduction to a topic and individual consultation sessions.
All award-winning students received a sculpture, a certificate and prize money of 250 euros, donated by Volksbank BRAWO.
The prizewinners were selected from 40 applications by a jury consisting of the President of Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr Julia Siegmüller, the Head of the Wolfsburg branch of Volksbank BRAWO, Claudia Kayser, and the Managing Director of the Engagement Centre, Monika Schmidt, on the basis of various criteria (including the duration and scope of the commitment as well as the willingness to take responsibility). A student member of Ostfalia University advised the jury after a pre-selection of the candidates eligible for the award.
The next application phase for the prize is expected to start in March 2026. Further information can be found at: www.engagementzentrum.de/brawo-gemeinwohl-preis-ostfalia (external link, opens in a new window)