Germany’s Student of the Year 2027: Nominations open for €5,000 award

German University Association (DHV) and the German Student Services Organisation (DSW) have opened nominations for the 2027 “Student of the Year” award, which recognises students who make exceptional contributions to society beyond their academic achievements.

Nominations can be submitted for individual students or teams whose work demonstrates a distinctive and innovative approach to social engagement. The activity does not have to be connected to a university, according to the announcement published on Oct 15.

Candidates must not have completed their studies by the end of the 2026–27 winter semester. Nominations must be submitted in writing by Dec 31.

The award carries prize money of €5,000, funded by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaf, a German non-profit association that supports education, science and innovation. The winner will be honoured on March 22, 2027, at the Gala of German Science in Berlin.

DHV President Professor Lambert T. Koch and DSW President Professor Beate A. Schücking said the award aims to make exemplary student engagement more visible by highlighting positive contributions to society.

The award has previously recognised students working on a range of social issues. In 2026, Marian Grau of the University of Konstanz was honoured for supporting families with children with disabilities through a programme that connects siblings of children with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

In 2025, Noah Dejanović of Leipzig University received the award for his work to raise awareness of sexualised violence and child abuse and to promote greater attention to child protection in teacher education.

The 2024 award went to Contimi Kenfack Mouafo of RWTH Aachen University for his work with the organisation 3 E’s 4 Africa, which supports education, empowerment and environmental awareness among students and doctoral candidates in Africa.