Leibniz University Hannover and the Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) have presented international students with this year's DAAD award and the university award by the Victor Rizkallah Foundation and Leibniz Universitätsgesellschaft Hannover e. V. In recognition of their exceptional commitment - both in curricular and extracurricular matters - as well as for their outstanding academic achievements, three international students from Leibniz University Hannover were honoured at the Leibnizhaus:
Ms Estefania Carolina Cañizares Cruz, born 1 May 1991 in Ecuador,
master's degree programme Geodesy and Geoinformatics
Ms Cañizares Cruz was nominated by Professor Steffen Schön (dean of studies of the faculty Geodesy and Geoinformatics). Ms Cañizares Cruz successfully completed a bachelor's degree in Geography and Environmental Engineering at the University of the Armed Forces in Sangolquí, Ecuador. She then moved to Hannover, where she is currently enrolled in the third semester of the master's degree programme Geodesy and Geoinformatics.
Since the beginning of her studies, Ms Cañizares Cruz has consistently achieved excellent results. In addition to her studies, she is employed as an academic assistant at the Institute of Cartography and Geoinformatics, where she assists doctoral candidates in their work and has taken on the role of tutor for the subject geographic information systems. Throughout her work at the institute, she has demonstrated continued reliability and accuracy. Moreover, she is one of three mentors for international students in the degree programme Geodesy and Geoinformatics and developed an information brochure that supports new international students upon their arrival in Hannover.
Apart from her remarkable academic performance, Professor Schön also nominated Ms Cañizares Cruz in recognition of her outstanding social commitment. She volunteers at the South America Centre Hannover e.V. and promotes socially relevant topics such as sustainability or social inclusion.
Ms Estefanía Carolina Cañizares Cruz received the DAAD Award, which encompasses award money amounting to 1.000 euros.
Mr Zhijun Zhao, born 21 October 1992 in Nei Mongol (China)
Doctoral candidate at the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry of Leibniz University Hannover.
Mr Zhao was nominated by Professor Armin Feldhoff from the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry.
Earlier this year, Mr Zhao successfully completed a degree in "Material Chemistry and Nanochemistry" in Hannover, in which his master's thesis investigated "Melt Flow Synthesis of Oxygen-Transporting Oxides". He has already submitted his second scientific publication to a prestigious journal. Currently undertaking doctoral studies, Mr Zhao is furthermore in receipt of funding through an Exposé scholarship by the Graduate Academy.
In addition to his scientific work, Mr Zhao is committed to a better understanding between different cultures - in particular German and Chinese culture. Since 2015, he has been giving voluntary tuition to a German student, who is learning Chinese at the adult education centre in Hannover. Furthermore, he is the initiator and administrator of the WeChat group "Chinese Students in Hannover", which provides support with the everyday challenges encountered by Chinese students in Hannover. In addition, Zhijun Zhao personally advises and supervises Chinese-speaking bachelor's and master's students of chemistry and other subjects upon their arrival in Hannover. When working at Daimler AG in Bremen during his studies, he endeavoured to bring together all students through organising international lunches and visits to events in Bremen.
In spring of 2018, Mr Zhao was instrumental in aiding the smooth organisation of the "General Assembly of the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry" with a total of more than 500 participants present at the conference.
Mr Zhijun Zhao received the university award by the Viktor Rizkallah Foundation, which encompasses award money amounting to 500 euros.
Ms Olga Korolova, born 7 November 1990 in Ukraine
Doctoral candidate at the Institute of Drive Systems and Power Electronics of Leibniz University Hannover.
Ms Korolova was nominated by Professor Bernd Ponick from the Institute of Drive Systems and Power Electronics.
After completing her bachelor's degree in Electromechanics at Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, Olga Korolova moved to Hannover, where she commenced a master's degree in Mechatronics in winter semester 2011/2012, having been granted a DAAD scholarship. At the beginning of her studies, she already began to specialise in electric drive technology and exhibited outstanding performance. As a result, she was employed as a research assistant at the Institute of Drive Systems and Power Electronics. In addition, Ms Korolova has taken on the role of tutor, supervising small group exercises at the Institute of Measurement and Automated Control. She completed her master's degree with an excellent average grade of 1.4. Her work was awarded an academic distinction by the SEW Eurodrive Foundation. It should also be noted that Ms Korolova speaks four languages fluently and was only 22 when completing her master's degree.
Currently, Ms Korolova is employed as a research assistant. Her scientific focus is on the modelling of electrical machines for the time-efficient prediction of transient processes in electric drives as well as on the improvement of the mathematical solution methods used for them. This is also the core subject of her doctoral thesis, which Ms Korolova is currently working on.
Aside from her impressive academic performance, Ms Korolova assisted students of the master's degree programme Mechatronics both in curricular and extra-curricular matters from 2015 to 2017. Among other things, she maintained the website and arranged information events for prospective and new students.
Ms Olga Korolova received the university award by the International Office, which encompasses award money amounting to 500 euros.
