Securing Financial Support During the Final Stages of Your Studies

Equal opportunity has not yet been fully achieved at German universities, as educational success continues to depend heavily on social background and, consequently, economic opportunities. The non-profit Janusz Korczak Foundation Bremen (JKSB) aims to contribute to greater equity. Since 2025, Korczak scholarships have been awarded to students at the University of the Arts (HfK) Bremen who are in the final semesters of their standard period of study. The goal is to support committed young people who are financially disadvantaged so that they can pursue the career path they desire and that matches their talents.
As part of the application and selection process, the JKSB awarded an additional scholarship in 2026—that is, six grants instead of the planned five—to HfK students in the departments of Art and Design and Music. For one of their final semesters, they will receive a full scholarship of 800 euros per month or a partial scholarship of 450 euros per month, allowing them to focus on successfully completing their studies thanks to this support. The total amount awarded in this year’s round of grants is 26,700 euros.

The 2026 Korczak Full Scholarship is awarded to:
Bissan Badran (Master’s student under Heike Kati Barath, Professor of Figurative Painting)
Zachary Alexander Donaldson (Master of Music in Artistic Studies, majoring in lute under Prof. Joachim Held)
Eghbal Joudi (Master’s program under Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Professor of Sculpture)
Rana Minavi (Bachelor’s program in Integrated Design under Tanja Prill, Professor of Typography)
Lina Pilnyk (Bachelor’s program in Integrated Design under Kai Lehmann, Professor of Pattern Design, Cut Design, and CAD)

The 2026 Korczak Partial Scholarship is awarded to:
Hirona Ise (Master of Music in Artistic Training, majoring in violin under Mayumi Kanagawa)

This year, 27 applications were reviewed by the selection committee—comprising two foundation members, the rector, the dean of the Department of Art and Design, and the dean of the Department of Music at the HfK Bremen—and a shortlist was proposed. The foundation selected the six scholarship recipients from this shortlist. Social factors were decisive for the selection, as was the students’ commitment to their studies and beyond. Inge Grothus and Dieter Adamski from the Janusz Korczak Foundation personally presented the scholarships to the students and discussed their goals, areas of focus, and planned final projects with them. 
Prof. Dr. Mirjam Boggasch, President of the HfK Bremen, is pleased that the partnership with the foundation has now entered its second phase, as the Korczak Scholarship is a great asset to the university’s students. “We are very grateful for this renewed support, as we repeatedly find that many students face financial challenges, especially in the final phase of their studies. In this situation, the scholarship offers valuable support for financing artistic final projects and practice-oriented semesters. I am particularly pleased that, together with the Korczak Foundation, we are continuing our work toward equal opportunity by not only providing financial security during the final phase of studies but also enabling students to achieve their individual academic goals. We congratulate the scholarship recipients, wish them a successful graduation, and thank the JKSB for its generous commitment.”
The Korczak Scholarships are awarded annually. Eligible applicants are enrolled HfK students within the standard period of study in bachelor’s, master’s, or diploma programs, concert exams, or master student programs. The next application period begins in 2027.