Presentation of the state awards and the DAAD Prize

Date: October 21, 2025

Awards ceremony: 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm 

Reception: 5:30 pm

Place: Festsaal and Senatsaal, University Main Building

Event language: German and English

Please register via the button below. 

This year outstanding students and researchers will again be honored with the state awards and the DAAD Prize on October 21 as part of the International Days. The state awards are sponsored by the French, Spanish and British governments.

This year’s program will be enriched by a keynote lecture from our Bonn University Ambassador Professor Pratyush Shankar from India’s Navrachana University, titled “The Promise of the City: Imagining the Future of Urban Communities in India.”

As the most populous country on Earth, India is a fascinating place when 
it comes to planning and designing modern urban spaces. With a young 
population and dynamic economy, Indian cities are developing at a rapid 
pace, which is both exciting and challenging for urban planners and city 
dwellers. The fact that urbanization rates in India are still comparatively low 
means that more Indians move from rural to urban areas every year than 
almost anywhere else in the world. At the same time, India is one of the 
most diverse countries in the world with hundreds of languages and 
cultures spread over thousands of kilometers on the Indian subcontinent.

As a result, architects, urban planners, and politicians can draw on an 
abundant wealth of local and regional expertise and rich traditions, but 
also have to navigate contradictions to achieve harmonious outcomes. 
However, their efforts are bolstered by the fundamental optimism of the 
Indian people – and underpinned by the utopian and global promise that 
resonates within the words ‘urban’ and ‘urbane.’

Following the award ceremony, the Vice Rectorate for International Affairs invites all event guests to a reception in the Senatsaal.

In addition to members of our university leadership, many international guests, including our Bonn University Ambassadors from around the world, as well as representatives of the sponsoring governments and the DAAD, will attend the award ceremony.

The International Days 2024 once again focused on excellent young talent, international collaborations and global challenges. In addition to the traditional presentation of the state prizes and the DAAD Prize, the Vice Rectorate for International Affairs hosted informational events, lectures and workshops.

The 2024 International Days presented a new format: This year, they were organized jointly with the renowned cultural scientist and pioneer of postcolonial theory, Professor Homi K. Bhabha of Harvard University. This offered members of the University of Bonn a fantastic opportunity to get to know this outstanding researcher in various formats and with a variety of panelists.