The ASA program is a German development policy learning and qualification program. It is aimed at young people who want to understand global interrelationships, ask critical questions and campaign for a just world. The ASA program is offered by Engagement Global and is largely funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
With financial and content-related support from the ASA program, internship tandems are formed. The tandems consist of a participant from the TU Dresden or another German university and a participant from a developing country.
The respectively three-month tandem internships take place first at the TU Dresden and then at the foreign partner institution (in total six months).
The participants are supported in both phases with an ASA scholarship as well as with a travel allowance by the ASA program or the applying institution. The ASA program also insures the domestic and foreign participants during the internship phase abroad. In addition to the internships, the participants take part in ASA seminars in Germany, which focus on overarching and current development policy issues. They also become better acquainted with the ASA program and its overall offerings. The working language in the projects and during the internships is English.

Participants of the TU Dresden as well as possibly other participating German universities:

Students between the ages of 21 and 30 who are studying at the TU Dresden or at a German university, who are at the end of their Bachelor’s degree or in their Master’s degree (whose Bachelor’s degree was earned within the last 18 months) can apply for the ASA program. Foreign students from the above-mentioned universities can participate if they are enrolled in a full course of study and have their center of life in Dresden or Germany.
In the global program format, the internship tandems are composed of participants from both project countries. Participants from Africa, Asia, Latin America or Southeast Europe are between 21 and 35 years old and are in direct contact with the project partner in the partner country. They can be in their Master’s or PhD studies.
The participants are socially engaged young people who want to work for a fair and sustainable development. In the project internships, they want concrete tasks, their own creative freedom and the opportunity for personal and critical examination of global issues.
The project language is English. The participants have a very good to excellent knowledge of English (C1 is desirable, B2 is minimum), which enables them to conduct research in this foreign language. German language skills are desirable for foreign participants.

The current ASA project 2022-2023 is related to the following research topic:

“Understanding bio- and photocatalysis: researching new methods for wastewater treatment.”

Students in the following fields of study may participate: Process Engineering, Engineering and Technology, Natural and Environmental Sciences.

Working language: English.

Supervision at the TU Dresden: Prof. Dr.-Ing.-habil. Michael Stintz and his team; contact: Dr. Frank Babick, research associate, Tel.: +49 (0)351 463 33724, frank.babick@tu-dresden.de

Technical support at HUST (Hanoi University of Science and Technology)/Institute for Research & Development of Natural Products (INAPRO)/contact: Ms. Assoc. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Nguyen Minh Tan, Director, +84 24 3868 4376, tan.nguyenminh@hust.edu.vnt

The ASA internship takes place in two phases:

    Phase 1 at TU Dresden:

04/15/2023 to 07/13/2023 (3 months = 90 days).

     Phase 2 at HUST:

Flexible between 08/01/2023 and 12/31/2023 (3 months).

ASA Seminar Dates 2023:

Participation in the ASA program’s seminar offerings during Internship Phase 1 is mandatory for all participants. For this purpose, they are exempted during the internship at the TU Dresden.

The program catalog has not yet been provided by the ASA program for 2023. The information about the seminar dates will be available here as soon as possible.

The student will be selected directly by HUST in Vietnam.

Interested students from HUST apply to participate by 05/12/2022 to:

Assoc. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Nguyen Minh Tan, Director of the Institute for Research & Development of Natural Products (INAPRO), Tel: + 84 24 3868 4376, Email: tan.nguyenminh@hust.edu.vn & nguyen.minhtan@gmail.com

The submission of the participant information is done by the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN to the ASA program by 15.12.2022.

The ASA program will confirm the pre-selected Vietnamese participants in January 2023.

ASA funding for the student from HUST:

Phase 1: Internship phase in Dresden/Germany

• Scholarship: monthly 861 EUR (= per month: 427 EUR for accommodation + 325 EUR for food + monthly 109 EUR as pocket money); paid by LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN,
• Reimbursement of travel expenses for participation in ASA seminars; paid by LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN,
• Costs of visa for the purpose of starting an internship; paid by LEONARDO-BÜROP SACHSEN,
• Health, accident and liability insurance of the participants directly through the ASA program.

Phase 2 / Internship phase in Vietnam at HUST/home country

• Scholarship: 250 EUR per month (payment is made in phase 1 via LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN).

TU Dresden funding for the student at HUST:

Phase 1: Internship phase in Dresden/Germany

• Airfare (round trip): 850 EUR (flights are booked by TU Dresden through LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN),
• Reimbursement of travel costs from the airport to accommodation in Dresden and back via LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN (up to max. 150 EUR),
• Monthly ticket for the regional transport in Dresden via the hosting department of the TU Dresden,
• Reimbursement of any higher costs for accommodation and flights via LEONARDO-BÜRO

 Phase 2: Internship phase in Vietnam/home country

No reimbursements

Notes:

• If the internship is shorter than 3 months (tolerance time: 10 days), the scholarship will be reduced by days.
• The award of an ASA scholarship can only be made within the limits of the available funds.

The legal entitlement to receive an ASA scholarship only comes into effect if all funding conditions are met, the application documents have been submitted on time, a confirmation of funding has been issued by the ASA program and the conditions for starting the internship are guaranteed (visa, accommodation at the internship location, travel).

Interested students apply

until 09/01/2023

to the responsible academic supervisor at the TU Dresden (see Toggle 3) or to the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN.

After the examination of the professional suitability of the ASA applicant by Prof. Stintz and his team, the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN advises the students in order to prepare them optimally for the direct application to the ASA program.

The deadline for the submission of the application documents to the ASA program by the students

is 20/01/2023.

By Jan. 31, 2023, the selection of students who will be approved for the planned ASA internships and receive an ASA stipend for them will then take place.

ASA funding for the student from the TU Dresden/another German university:

Phase 1: Internship phase in Germany

• Scholarship: monthly 752 EUR, directly reimbursed by Engagement Global GmbH, the project sponsor of the ASA program,
• Travel allowance for participation in the ASA seminars; directly reimbursed by Engagement Global GmbH, the project sponsor of the ASA program.

Phase 2: Internship phase in partner country

• Scholarship: monthly approx. 827 EUR (depending on the internship country – visa costs are to be paid from the scholarship funds); directly paid by Engagement Global GmbH, the ASA project sponsor,
• Travel allowance approximately 800 EUR (depending on the internship country); paid directly by Engagement Global GmbH as ASA project sponsor,
• Health, accident and liability insurance of the participant directly through the ASA program.

Notes:

• If the internship is shorter than 3 months (tolerance time: 10 days), the stipend will be reduced by the day.
• The award of an ASA stipend can only be made within the limits of the available funds.
• The legal entitlement to receive an ASA scholarship only comes into effect if all funding conditions are met, the application documents have been submitted on time, a confirmation of funding has been issued by the ASA program and the conditions for starting the internship are guaranteed (visa, accommodation at the internship location, travel).

To occupy oneself with the culture, the political system, the social and climatic conditions and with the country and its people are essential prerequisites for the success of the internship abroad: The ASA program and also the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN therefore require that the participating students deal intensively with the respective partner country before the start of the internship. Intercultural preparation is of particular importance in order to avoid interculturally caused problem situations in the work process and in social life or to know strategies for dealing with them. Therefor the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN offers a digital workshop for the participants in April 2023.

The central ASA seminars of Engagement Global GmbH in internship phase 1 are part of the ASA program. ASA fellows are expected to attend the seminars, actively participate in the discussions, and network personally with their tandem partner as well as with other participants. Personal networks later help to maintain professional and private contacts worldwide.

All ASA scholarship holders are expected to prepare themselves very well for a domestic and foreign internship with a partner from Germany/Vietnam. This includes that they adjust to the tandem partner, deal with his/her culture and support each other linguistically and interculturally in the organization of the internship abroad.

All ASA fellows are also expected to participate in the preparation of intercultural information materials during or after their internships and/or to be prepared to give a presentation about the internship at information events or at internship cafés organized by the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN. This should help to improve the intercultural knowledge about individual countries and motivate other students to take the step of an internship abroad.

Service for students from Germany:

• Information about the program, the services and the procedure of the internships in phase 1 (3 months in Germany at TU Dresden) and in phase 2 (3 months at HUST in Vietnam),
• Advice on the cooperation with the project staff of the ASA program, especially on the procedures for the scholarship payment directly by Global Engagement gGmbH as well as on the cost of living in Vietnam,
• Support in the supervision of the tandem partner from Vietnam,
• advice on flight bookings and accommodation search,
• intercultural counseling, social and cultural support during the internship,
• Support in applying for visa and work permit,
• Logistical support for participation in the ASA seminars,
• Support in problem situations (accidents, serious illnesses, change of internship duration, social or intercultural problems).

Service for the students from Vietnam:

• Information about the program, services and the process of the internships in phase 1 (3 months in Germany at TU Dresden) and in phase 2 (3 months at HUST in Vietnam),
• Support in finding accommodation in Dresden,
• Booking and financing of outbound and return flight tickets in coordination with the participant,
• Support in organizing the onward travel from the airport in Germany to Dresden by public transportation,
• Support in applying for a visa for the purpose of starting an internship in Germany,
• Intercultural and social support during the internship,
• Payment of the scholarships in two, maximum three installments for phase 1 and phase 2 of the internship as well as advice on the cost of living in Germany,
• Logistical support for participation in the ASA seminars,
• Support in problem situations (accidents, serious illnesses, change of internship duration, social or intercultural problems).

The ASA program regulates the funding conditions for all participants:

1. Students who are enrolled at the TU Dresden or a German university (Northern participants):

• • Proof of enrollment in a Bachelor’s program (final phase of studies) or Master’s program; field of study in each case with reference to the current ASA project at TU Dresden,
  • for Master students: Proof that the Bachelor’s degree was obtained within the last 18 months,
  • Proof of age between 21 and 30 years,
  • Confirmation as ASA scholarship holder by the ASA program,
  • Proof of very good English skills (C1 desired, B2 is minimum),
  • Willingness to engage in intercultural activities during and after the ASA internship in coordination with the ASA team of the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN and with the HUST, and to promote the ASA program and the associated opportunity of the internship abroad to fellow students.

2. Students studying at HUST in Vietnam (South participants):

• • Proof of enrollment in a master’s program or confirmation of completion of a PhD program by the supervising professor; field of study in each case related to the current ASA project at TU Dresden,
  • Proof of age between 21 and 35 years,
  • Confirmation as ASA scholar by the ASA program,
  • Proof of very good English skills (C1 desirable, B2 is minimum),
  • Willingness to engage in intercultural activities during and after the ASA internship in coordination with the ASA team of the LEONARDO OFFICE SAXONY and the HUST with the goal to make the ASA program and the associated possibility of the internship abroad known to fellow students.

Application phase for students of the TU Dresden or other German universities: 

01.12.2022- 20.01.2023 (see program information).

Students of the TU Dresden or another German university register their interest in participating in the ASA project of the TU Dresden and HUST

until 09.01.2023

to Dr. Babick or to the LEONARDO OFFICE SAXONY (see “Program information under Toggle 3).

After Prof. Stintz has checked the professional suitability of the ASA applicant, the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN will advise the students

until max. 19.01.2023,

in order to prepare them optimally for the direct application to the ASA program to increase their chances of selection.

The application deadline directly to the ASA program for the German students is

the 20.01.2023.

The selection of the participant will take place

by the end of January 2023

by the ASA program coordination (the Engagement Global GmbH) in coordination with Prof. Stintz of the TU Dresden.

• Instructions of the ASA program for online application: updated information will be posted as soon as it is available.
• Access to the online application: this information will be posted as soon as it is available.

Interested students of the HUST apply

by 05.12.2022

to the Director of INAPRO (see “Program Information, Toggle 4).

The ASA participant will be selected by the HUST.

until max. 14.12.2022

preselected.

The LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN will send the contact information of the participant

until 15.12.2022

to the ASA program (Engagement Global GmbH).

From there, the participant will receive a request to submit his/her participation documents. The application process is completed by a confirmation from Engagement Global for participation in the ASA program

until mid-January 2023.

• Proof of visa for the purpose of the internship (the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN supports the application procedure),
• Availability of accommodation at the internship location (the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN supports the search for accommodation),
• Timely arrival in Dresden/Germany.

• After confirmation of the application, the internship team (tandem partner from Germany or Vietnam) will be formed.
• The German participant will be invited to an organizational meeting at the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN in early February 2023.
• The consultation of the participant from Vietnam will take place digitally from January 2023.
• In April 2023, LEONARDO OFFICE SAXONY will conduct a digital get-to-know-you workshop for the internship tandem.
• The internship start of phase 1 will be secured by Prof. Stintz and his team. At HUST, the internship support in phase 2 is provided by INAPRO. On the first day of the internship, the students of the tandem are introduced to the institute, the faculty and their tasks. Instruction on work safety and the use of technology will be given in both internship phases.
• During the project, the work/research results are continuously evaluated by the supervising project teams at the TU Dresden (phase 1) and at HUST (phase 2).
• It is the concern of the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN that the ASA participants receive “Qualified Internship Certificates” for both internship phases by the supervising professors.
• By the end of internship phase 2, the ASA internship reports of the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN are to be submitted for the evaluation of the internships abroad as well as of the ASA project 2023. This is done regardless of whether the ASA program also requests evaluative information.

Only for the student(s) of the TU Dresden or of other Saxon universities:

• An evaluation meeting with the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN will take place in the winter semester 2023/24, depending on scheduling availability. The aim is to evaluate the project and agree on what contribution you can make to motivate further students over the course of the next two semesters.

For the HUST student only:

• The ASA scholarship as well as the reimbursement of the costs for the travel to and from the project will be provided by the LEONARDO OFFICE OF SAXONY. The ASA stipend will be paid in two installments:
  • 1st installment of the ASA stipend for Phase 1: Immediately after arrival in Dresden as a cash payment via a check (mid-April 2023) or to an account of a German bank,
  • 2nd installment of the stipend for Phase 1 and stipend amount for Phase 2: after 1.5 months of internship (beginning of June 2023) as a cash payment via a check or to an account of a German bank.

By registering to participate in the ASA Program/ASA Project 2022 – 2023 of the TU Dresden and the HUST, you as a participating student voluntarily provide us with your personal data. You can object to the data collection associated with the registration at any time. If the objection is made before the start or during the project, participation is not or no longer possible and, if applicable, funding claims will be forfeited. The collected data will be processed by LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN exclusively for the purpose of the organizational implementation of the project. Data will not be transferred to third parties outside the TU Dresden or only after obtaining your written consent. After the implementation of the project and the evaluation of the results by the funding body – Engagement Global gGmbH – as well as by external German financial auditing institutions, the personal data will be deleted after a maximum of 10 years. In all other respects, the data protection declaration in the imprint of the TU Dresden website https://tu-dresden.de/impressum applies.

In order to ensure proper processing, we must ensure that the exchange of personal data is possible in principle. Your data is stored protected from access by unauthorized persons on the server at the TU Dresden at the Center for Information Services and High Performance Computing. Without your explicit permission, we are not allowed to exchange personal data in e-mail correspondence. However, we would like to ensure a smooth and fast exchange of documents. Therefore, we ask you to consider whether the e-mail transmission of information and documents containing personal data between you and LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN is an option for you. For this reason, we will send you appropriate data protection forms as soon as you have been confirmed as an ASA participant by the ASA program.

Any ASA applicant or ASA fellow may submit a written complaint (usually via email) to report deficiencies in the preparation and implementation of the ASA internships. The first point of contact is the ASA team via the e-mail address katharina.gabel-stransky@tu-dresden.de.

If the problem is not solved in a satisfactory way, you can contact the office of the Chief Officer for Technology Transfer and Internationalization at TU Dresden, Prof. Dr. Ronald Tetzlaff, via the e-mail address ctio@tu-dresden.de.

Please inform the ASA team informally by e-mail via katharina.gabel-stransky@tu-dresden about the following information needed for the implementation of the project and your internships abroad:

All ASA interns:

• Address at the internship location,
• Change of address at the place of study and home (informal),
• Written information in case of problems that may jeopardize the successful completion of the internship or lead to a premature termination of the respective internship phase (illness, objective events in the home country, social or intercultural problems, etc.),
• Proof of visa/work permit (depending on the regulations in the partner country) before the start of the internship.

Important notice:

In any case of shortening, please note that this will affect the scholarship payment. A full ASA stipend can only be paid if the internship duration of 3 months (minus a tolerance of 10 days) is met. If the internship period is 11 days or more less, the stipend payment will be made on a per-day basis, taking into account the actual days of the internship (attendance, except in the case of medical sick leave).

• The deadline for submission of the ASA Interim Report is 08/20/2023. Please use the ASA Interim Report form (will be posted in time).
• The deadline for submission of the final ASA report is 11/15/2023. Please use the form for the ASA Final Report (will be posted in time).

LEONARDO OFFICE SAXONY expects the final documents to be submitted on time.

Documents with personal data (application documents, travel documents, documents of the visa procedures, contract documents and other, individually relevant documents concerning the ASA internship) are stored and processed by the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN electronically and in paper form for the implementation of the ASA project, for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the ASA internships as well as for the cooperation with Global Engagement gGmbH as the sponsor of the ASA program. These documents will be deleted after positive evaluation of the respective ASA project by the ASA program. Financial documents are kept for a total of 10 years in the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN and in the Finance Department of the TU Dresden due to legal requirements of the state of Saxony. This is necessary because auditing institutions in Germany are entitled to audit the disbursement of ASA grant funds in general and in each individual case during this period. After expiration of this period, the documents of the ASA interns will be destroyed in the LEONARDO-BÜRO SACHSEN in a data-protection-safe manner.