5. July '24
Three people stand together on a stage at Hochschule Coburg. The person in the center holds a certificate, smiling, while the other two people stand on either side, also smiling. The background is a dark curtain.
Three people stand together on a stage at Hochschule Coburg. The person in the center holds a certificate, smiling, while the other two people stand on either side, also smiling. The background is a dark curtain.
A woman in a black dress stands smiling in a park near Hochschule Coburg, with lush green trees in the background. A few people are walking on a path behind her.
A woman in a black dress stands smiling in a park near Hochschule Coburg, with lush green trees in the background. A few people are walking on a path behind her.
From Natalie Schalk
When the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) prize is awarded, one thing is always particularly clear: what a great asset foreign students are to Coburg University of Applied Sciences.
This year, architecture student Lovedeep Chauhan was honored. Whoever hears her name smiles.
Lovedeep is not particularly common in India either, but at least in the north of the country there are girls and women with this name from time to time.
In Europe, everyone thinks that the name comes from English.
But that’s only half true.
“Love is the English word for love. Deep means light in Hindi,” explains the 27-year-old, whose parents have named her “Light of Love”.
Sometimes her parents are a little sad that their Lovedeep is so far away.
At the same time, they are very proud.
Lovedeep Chauhan has now been awarded the DAAD Prize 2024 as an outstanding student at Coburg University of Applied Sciences.
“This really means a lot to me,” she said at the award ceremony. International flair Christian Erkenbrecher, Head of the International Office at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, emphasized that not only academic excellence, but also exemplary behaviour is recognized.
“This shows how foreign students enrich the university community.” Prof. Mario Tvrtkovic from the university’s Faculty of Design said that “as someone who has an international background himself”, he was particularly pleased to be able to present the award this year.
In addition to her professional achievements, Tvrtkovic also emphasized Chauhan’s commitment and values.
She has been involved in many areas of the Faculty of Design and is known as a person who brings others together.
She was very involved in several Design Build projects in the Bachelor’s degree course in Architecture at Coburg University of Applied Sciences, for example in the Tiny House project by architecture professor Dr Rainer Hirth on the Design campus or in the “Women Empowerment Center” construction project in India, where Hirth and students volunteered to actively support a non-governmental organization (NGO) in setting up a women’s center.
Chauhan helped fellow students, guided them and kept the group together.
She was particularly interested in the topic of clay construction for the projects.
“I want to make a difference in the world of architecture where sustainability is concerned.” “I love being here!” She came to Germany in 2018. After an intensive language course in Nuremberg, she attended the preparatory course for technical and engineering degree courses at the Studienkolleg Coburg for a year.
Studying is quite different when you’re not a native speaker, she explained.
Today, she speaks Hindi, Punjabi, English and German fluently and is learning Italian.
She smiles as she talks about how valued she feels here.
“It has motivated me a lot. I’ve made close friends and the lecturers at the university are incredibly great.”
She laughs: “I love being here!”
As part of her “studies with in-depth practical experience”, Chauhan works outside of lecture times at the Coburg site of the Bamberg State Building Authority.
She finds this exciting and can imagine working in such an area later on.
Chauhan’s mother and father in India will probably have to get used to not seeing their light of love quite so often.
