The Deutschlandstipendium at the IPU Berlin

Information about Offerings and Appying

Apply now for a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship

At the International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, students have the opportunity to apply for a Deutschlandstipendium. The scholarship amounts to 300 euros per month, is paid for one year, and is funded equally by private donations and a contribution from the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Germany Scholarship is intended to support students who, based on their previous commitment and academic record—and taking into account their social, family, and personal circumstances—demonstrate exceptional potential and achieve outstanding results in their studies or careers.

Only students who are enrolled at IPU Berlin and are studying within the standard period of study are eligible to apply for a Germany Scholarship.

Starting in the 2026/27 winter semester, IPU Berlin will once again offer three so-called “theme classes” as part of the Germany Scholarship program. These classes focus on specific academic questions that are explored as part of the students’ studies. The class meets at irregular intervals—about twice per semester—to discuss the topic, which may also be incorporated into, for example, term papers or theses. The thematic classes are supervised by scholars affiliated with IPU Berlin.

This year’s topics are

“Artificial Intelligence and Psychoanalysis”, funded by the Association of Friends and Supporters of the IPU and the Foundation for the Promotion of University Psychoanalysis (5 scholarships to be awarded)
“Cultural-Psychological and Psychoanalytic Diagnoses of the Present”, funded by the Köhler Foundation with funds from the Hans Kilian and Lotte Köhler Center for Social and Cultural Psychology and Historical Anthropology at the IPU and TU Dortmund (4 scholarships to be awarded)
“Aggression and Violence”, funded by the “Priv.-Doz. Dr. Harald Leupold-Löwenthal” Endowment Fund (5 scholarships to be awarded)
Seven non-linked schoarships will also be awarded.

The topic-based classes are:

Artificial intelligence is a field that is currently undergoing significant differentiation and that touches on issues relevant to psychoanalysis, among other things. The use of artificial intelligence fundamentally influences processes of subjectivation. Among other things, this raises the question of how we shape our relationship with artificial intelligence, which will—and is already—changing our work processes. The question of the role of artificial intelligence in the psychotherapeutic context is also linked to this.

The topic area is deliberately broad to allow room for the development of individual perspectives. The course is particularly aimed at students who are currently engaged with a topic related to artificial intelligence from a psychoanalytic perspective or who would like to focus on this area in the future.

Dr. Anne Krewani and Prof. Dr. Birgit Stürmer serve as the course coordinators for this thematic course.

Many analyses of the present are primarily sociological in nature. As a result, the psychological underpinnings of social developments are often overlooked: the cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors that help shape both individual and collective perceptions, interpretations, decisions, and actions. From a cultural-psychological and psychoanalytic perspective, the focus also shifts to unconscious fantasies, conflicts, desires, and defense mechanisms, which can manifest themselves in social dynamics, cultural paradigms, and social conflicts.

The thematic cluster “Cultural-Psychological and Psychoanalytic Analyses of the Present” offers master’s students who join the KKC Student College a space to jointly analyze and explore such perspectives. In addition, a budget is available to support the students in independently organizing and conducting lecture series or workshops, as well as participating in thematically relevant symposia and conferences at other universities and research institutes in Germany and—due to the limited budget—in neighboring European countries.

The students’ activities are supervised by PD Dr. Pradeep Chakkarath and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Straub.

The topic of aggression and violence was one of the main areas of research for the Viennese psychiatrist, neurologist, and psychoanalyst Harald Leupold-Löwenthal (1926–2007). This program is of interest to students who are already exploring a topic in this field or who plan to do so. The seminar is structured to allow as much flexibility as possible for students to set their own research focus. Perspectives on questions surrounding aggression as a subject-theoretical topic are just as welcome as the treatment of experiences of violence (such as those resulting from war), trauma, or post-traumatic stress disorder. The unifying element of the seminar is psychoanalysis as a scientific discipline and methodological framework.

Prof. Phil Langer is the contact person and supervisor of this class.

Bachelor's and master's students can apply for both a general, i. e. a topic-based, and a non-topic-based Deutschlandstipendium. The latter means that they must also state their preferred topic-based class in their application and explain their interest in it in a short letter of motivation. A selection committee then decides whether to award the Deutschlandstipendium and, if applicable, whether to admit the applicant to one of the thematic groups.

The scholarship is unrelated to receiving BAföG or one's income level. Only students who are already receiving a merit or performance-based scholarship from a public or publicly funded institution in the amount of 30 Euro per month or more are excluded from receiving the Deutschlandstipendium.

The next application rounds for the Deutschlandstipendium will take place for the 2026/27 winter semester.

Application

As an IPU student, you can apply for the Deutschlandstipendium. The application period for the 2026/27 winter semester runs from 8 July, 2026, to 10 August, 2026.

To apply, please use the form available via this link.

Scholarships are awarded for a maximum of one year. Extensions are possible and are regulated in the letters of approval. There is no entitlement to an extension of a scholarship.

Please submit requests for extensions of the Deutschlandstipendium by email.

Awarding the Deutschlandstipendium

Amount and Duration of the Scholarship
Applicants will be informed whether they will receive a scholarship at the beginning of the semester, for which they have applied (i.e., in April for the summer semester, in October for the winter semester).

Individual information on the scholarship duration will be provided in the grant notice. The grant notice will also indicate the scholarship amount and maximum duration. The scholarship's maximum duration is analog to the standard period of study for each study program (generally six semesters for bachelor's programs and four semesters for master's programs) minus the number of semesters the student has completed at the time of application.