DAAD Prize 2024 of TH Köln for Alua Kuchukova
Alua Kuchukova won this year's DAAD prize for her academic achievements and social commitment. She received the 1,000-euro award at the City of Cologne's town hall reception for new international students, doctoral candidates, and visiting scholars at Cologne's universities.
“Ms. Kuchukova has distinguished herself in her bachelor's program in business administration. Her contributions during lectures and her rigorous, goal-oriented approach to her studies have made an impression. Not only has she done different internships and held working student positions, she has also volunteered in different fields and has always been extremely polite and friendly towards others,” said Prof. Dr. Kai Thürbach of the Schmalenbach School of Business and Economics in his recommendation to the award’s selection committee.
Business administration soon turned out to be the right subject for her
Before her studies at TH Köln, Kuchukova completed her secondary education at the “School-Gymnasium N. 75” in Astana (Kazakhstan) with the grade 1.0. In 2019, she came to Germany, initially to the Landesstudienkolleg Halle in Saxony-Anhalt to prepare for university. “I wanted to study in Germany because German education is of really good quality and freely accessible to everyone, regardless of income, age, origin or gender. I think that's crucial,” says Kuchukova, explaining her move to a new country.
When preparing for her studies, Kuchukova quickly realized that she wanted to study business administration. “I completed an economics course at the Studienkolleg, where you acquire basic knowledge in the areas of economics and business administration. I particularly enjoyed the business administration topics. I also find the wide range of career opportunities offered by this area exciting,” says Kuchukova.
Extracurricular commitment
In the winter semester of 2020/2021, she started her bachelor's degree at the Schmalenbach School of Business and Economics. “I chose TH Köln because it is in my opinion the best practice-oriented university for business administration in Germany,” says Kuchukova. And that decision proved to be the right one, given that the degree program gave her many insights into different aspects of the subject. She eventually specialized in the areas of “corporate governance and organizational development” and “investment and financing”. She wrote her bachelor's thesis on collaborations between established companies and start-ups on sustainable innovations.
Alongside her studies, Kuchukova has been involved in the “KARIBU Buddy Program” of TH Köln's International Office since September 2021, where she has acted as a mentor for international students and helped them ease in. Since March 2023, she is also a member of the "Erasmus Student Network” association, where she organizes events for exchange students. “I believe that these offers are very important for new international students because they help them to get to know each other, find a network and overcome fears and barriers,” explains Kuchukova.
Now that she has finished her bachelor's degree, she wants to start working. “I have an idea which direction I want to take, and I am open to new professional opportunities. One thing is very important to me: I want to find a job that allows me to contribute to building a sustainable future, directly or indirectly,” says Kuchukova.
October 2024
