Funding Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarships Awarded
26 November 2024
Fourth funding year: eleven Heidelberg University students receive funding for their MINT subject study programs
Urging them to be inspired by the diversity of knowledge and to look beyond their own subject area, Prof. Dr Frauke Melchior, Rector of Heidelberg University, addressed the eleven students who can enjoy special support for their courses. They have just been awarded a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship, which is open to gifted, motivated young people with enthusiasm for mathematics, computer science, natural science or technology – known as the MINT subjects. The scholarship certificates were presented at an award ceremony in the Great Hall of the Old University.
In her words of welcome, Prof. Melchior congratulated the scholarship-holders on their success in a challenging selection procedure, at the same time extending her thanks to Dr Hans-Peter Wild as a generous sponsor of Heidelberg University. Dr Martin Kleppe from the WILD Group spoke on behalf of the donor – the alumnus and honorary senator of Ruperto Carola was unable to be personally present on the occasion. He conveyed Dr Wild’s “best wishes” and emphasized that the scholarship goes far beyond mere financial support, for instance by also offering a valuable accompanying program. The awardees selected for the scholarship number among the best of their year. The over 190 applications in the current round of awards are proof of the great interest in the scholarship program, according to Martin Kleppe.
Prof. Dr Fred Hamprecht, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) at Heidelberg University, offered entertaining insights into his field of research. Together with his team, he develops AI methods for the natural sciences at the IWR. In his presentation, he elucidated groundbreaking advances in the field of Machine Learning. Manca Mursa, who received a Hans-Peter Wild Talent Scholarship in the 2022 round of awards and currently studies towards her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Ruperto Carola, spoke about her experience as a scholarship holder. The funding was a brilliant opportunity for her to pursue her passion for science as fully as possible, she said.
Martin Kleppe and the Rector then presented the new scholarship holders with their certificates. Financial support is going to students from all five faculties in the MINT field; they began their bachelor’s or master’s course in a MINT subject at Heidelberg University in the 2024/2025 winter semester. The six women and five men selected in the fourth funding year are from Germany, India, Slovakia and Türkiye. The event on 20 November 2024 was framed musically by pianist Ido Ramot, who presented works by Peter Tchaikovsky and Ludwig van Beethoven.
