About the scholarship

The Carl Hahn Scholarship, launched in July 2016, is designed to enable talented young people from Volkswagen’s catchment area in Wolfsburg, Chemnitz and Zwickau to study at universities national or international. Preference is given to applicants who can demonstrate social commitment in addition to very good ‘Abitur’ grades.
The financial situation of the student’s family is also taken into account. The duration of the scholarship is one year with the option of annual renewal until the end of the course. Regular performance records are obligatory and applicants are requested to send an informative letter of application to info@hahn-stiftung.org.

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Our current scholarship holders

Sarah Arnold

For me, education means more than just imparting knowledge. It opens up opportunities, creates prospects and lays the foundation for our society.

But how can educational processes be made particularly sustainable? As a teacher, I have learned that children learn best in an appreciative and safe environment where they are taken seriously and allowed to have a say. This has awakened in me the desire to make a bigger impact and contribute more. I want to pursue this goal by studying to become a teacher at the Technical University of Chemnitz.

The Carl Hahn-Scholarship supports me on my path and gives me the opportunity to develop personally and professionally. Prof. Carl Hahn’s interest and commitment, especially in the field of educational support, was remarkable and impressed me. I share his view that education is the key to our future and therefore feel very connected to the values of the foundation.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the entire team at the Carl and Marisa Hahn-Foundation. The trust placed in me motivates me to continue to take on responsibility and help shape the education of our next generations.

Leon Werner Schmidt

My application to the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation is characterised by the values of cosmopolitanism, entrepreneurial spirit and equal opportunities.

Prof. Carl H. Hahn’s attitude of specifically promoting internationality and understanding diversity as a strength corresponds to the path I would also like to take: combining technology and data and applying them internationally.

Wolfsburg is my hometown – this is where I grew up. After attending Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium, I decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. I then gained my first professional experience in the automotive industry, including in projects on digital lighting functions such as ‘communication lighting’ and ‘digital light signatures’. Since September 2025, I have been studying for a master’s degree in business analytics at the NOVA School of Business & Economics in Lisbon, Portugal, with the support of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation. There, I am deepening my knowledge of statistics, machine learning and data-based decision-making in an international environment.

I am very grateful for the trust and support of the foundation. In the future, I would like to contribute my expertise in China and thus carry on Prof. Hahn’s values: strengthening fair educational opportunities and promoting intercultural cooperation.

Alexandra Lorena Leicht

The scholarship was not only a financial help for me, but also a source of inspiration. It gave me the courage to enter a new environment and take on new challenges.

These experiences shaped my personality and helped me to surpass myself. I began my dual degree in logistics and information management at Volkswagen AG, which I have now completed. My semester abroad at the Cyber-Human Lab at the University of Cambridge was particularly formative. In this academically challenging environment, I was able to work on an exciting research project with Volkswagen and also met many inspiring people from all over the world. This international experience broadened my horizons and had a decisive influence on my future path.

I am currently completing my full-time Master’s degree in Business Analytics at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon. The programme combines data analysis, statistics and modern technologies with business management issues. I am learning to understand complex data structures, support strategic decisions based on data and combine my technical knowledge with economic thinking. The international atmosphere and practical learning further enrich my studies and open up new perspectives for my professional future.

Hejie Zhu

An academic career was a key goal for me from an early age. However, right at the start of my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, I was quickly faced with the financial question of how I could pursue a demanding course of study without restrictions.

The support provided by the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation relieved me of a large part of this financial worry. The quick and uncomplicated approval enabled me to concentrate fully on my studies and develop my professional skills.

During my bachelor’s degree, my interest in electronics and microelectronics as well as hardware and software development became increasingly clear. For this reason, I decided to change my thematic focus from electrical engineering to computer engineering for my consecutive master’s degree.

I enrolled in the master’s programme in computer engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. The deliberate change of location is part of my personal commitment to continuously develop myself and leave my comfort zone.

I would like to once again express my sincere thanks to the foundation for its continued support during my master’s studies.

Max Abwandner

Sport has been my passion since childhood and motivates me to constantly question my own boundaries. My short stature has never been an obstacle for me, but it has led to numerous barriers in the education system.

Despite these challenges, I never gave up on my dream and am now studying sports science in the Bachelor’s programme at the University of Leipzig with the support of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation.

Sport helps me overcome everyday obstacles and boosts my self-esteem. My experiences with structural barriers and the potential of exercise for people of short stature have shaped my motivation and my goal. In the future, I would like to work towards greater equality of opportunity and plan to set up an inclusive contact point in the field of exercise and health.

My studies demand my full attention. As a person of short stature, the practical content in particular places additional physical strain on me and requires more recovery time. I was only able to cope with the associated financial pressure thanks to the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation. It stands for equal opportunities, participation and the promotion of young people. These values have shaped my path.

Prof. Dr. Carl H. Hahn remained active into his old age. His attitude encourages me to pass on exercise as the key to quality of life and independence. I am deeply grateful to the entire foundation team for their trust and support.

Bastian Döring

During my one-year stay abroad at Volkswagen in Beijing, I learned about the special connection that Dr Hahn has with the People’s Republic of China.

I was particularly impressed by his decades of loyalty to Volkswagen and his multifaceted life journey, which took him to different countries and cultures. These impressions – and the desire to open up new perspectives in the international business world through my studies – motivated me to apply to the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation. After an inspiring conversation in Dr Hahn’s office, I received a scholarship from the foundation that enabled me to begin my bachelor’s degree in International Business at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle, the Netherlands.

As part of a double degree programme, I was then able to study in both the Netherlands and Munich. This experience gave me a wide range of insights into different teaching methods, ways of thinking and cultural contexts. The scholarship from the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation not only provided me with financial support, but also contributed significantly to my personal development. I successfully completed my studies with a grade of 1.3.

After starting my career in after-sales management at AUDI AG, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Applied Strategy & International Security at the University of Plymouth – once again with the generous support of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation.

The foundation’s support has not only opened new doors for me, but also highlighted the value of education, community and commitment. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the entire team at the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation, and in particular to the Hahn family, for their ongoing support and the trust they have placed in me.

Sandra Sokolov

I became aware of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation through my work at Volkswagen. Through my dual studies at Volkswagen, I
already had the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s degree in business administration. I am all the more pleased that I am now also being supported for my Master’s degree – by the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation.

I am particularly grateful for this because I myself come from a non-academic family and this path was therefore not preordained for me. According to recent studies, only 20% of non-academic children become Bachelor’s graduates and only 11% Master’s graduates, compared to 64% and 43% for academic children. It was the ambition of the founder of the foundation, Prof. Dr. Carl Hahn, to support people on their to support people on their educational path who do not have the best starting conditions. I am pleased to be part of the realisation of Prof. Dr. Carl Hahn’s vision.

I am currently spending a semester abroad in Paris to study in an international environment. I see this experience as a valuable investment in my future, as such opportunities are rare. I am convinced that the skills I have acquired here will be very useful to me in my future career. After my return from Paris, I will write my Master’s thesis in Bremen. I am already looking forward to the new challenges and to incorporating the experience I have gained into my thesis.

Our former scholarship holders

Emilia Sofie Hendriok

My decision to apply for a scholarship from the Carl and Marisa Hahn-Foundation was influenced by my conviction that education, cosmopolitanism and equal opportunities are key prerequisites for social and economic progress.

As a visionary CEO, Prof. Hahn not only shaped the international development of Volkswagen AG, but also provided important impetus for a more diverse and inclusive corporate culture.

These values are also reflected in my own educational background. During my practice-integrated bachelor’s degree at Volkswagen AG, my interest in business management issues in an international and intercultural context deepened. Stays abroad in Mexico and Hungary further enhanced my intercultural skills and had a lasting impact on my desire to gain diverse international experience in an academic and professional context.

Against this backdrop, I completed an international double master’s degree. I graduated with a master’s degree in Management and Leadership (M.Sc.) from Andrássy University in Budapest and a second master’s degree in International Management (M.Sc.) from the International University Institute (IHI) Zittau at the Technical University of Dresden, both with an overall grade of 1.0. The demanding content of both programmes and the international study context have specifically developed my analytical, methodological and intercultural skills.

The support provided by the Carl and Marisa Hahn-Foundation has contributed significantly to my ability to consistently pursue and successfully complete this demanding educational path. I am extremely grateful for this trust and continuous support. I see this support as both an obligation and a motivation to carry on Prof. Hahn’s values and to continue to promote international cooperation, responsible action and equal opportunities in the future.

Niklas Robert Tyler

In August 2022, as part of my holiday job, I had the special opportunity to accompany Prof. Carl H. Hahn to a church service. During the drive, we talked about God and the world, as well as his life. If someone had told me back then that this very encounter would inspire me two years later to study in China for six months, I would never have believed it possible.

But that’s exactly how it turned out. After successfully completing my Abitur at the Neue Schule Wolfsburg, I began studying business administration at the University of Mannheim in the same year. And soon the next big adventure was just around the corner: my semester abroad in Shanghai, a city that was also strongly influenced by Prof. Hahn and his work at Volkswagen. Not least because of the many stories I had heard from Wolfsburg residents who had been to Shanghai on business, I quickly decided that I wanted to go there. When I was accepted by Fudan University, I finally got the place I had hoped for. It has always been important to me to get to know new cultures and people. After tenth grade, I had already lived in Panama for a year, a time for which I am still very grateful today. Now I wanted to immerse myself in a completely new world again. I was particularly fascinated by modern Chinese culture and the diverse contrasts of a city like Shanghai. I hoped to learn new things and develop personally through many encounters with a wide variety of people. Full of excitement and anticipation, I looked forward to the next four months. Unfortunately, time passed far too quickly, and my four months in China were over before I knew it.

Looking back, I can say that no other experience in my life has shaped me as much as those six months. A new culture, unfamiliar surroundings and daily encounters with people who gave me something to take away with me – all of this has changed me forever.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Hahn family and the entire team at the foundation. The scholarship helped me a lot during my time in Shanghai and enabled me to really make the most of my time. I look back on my time as a scholarship holder of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation with gratitude.
In conclusion, I have only one thing to say – thank you.

Finja Augsburg

Finja_Augsburg

As a scholarship holder of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation, I spent the winter semester of 2022 as an international visiting scholar at the University of Texas at Austin.

Working with world-class mentors, colleagues, and experts in global communication practice made my time at Moody College of Communication unforgettable. Not only did I lay the foundation for my Master’s thesis at the University of Erfurt in Austin, but I was also able to set the course for my professional future in transatlantic communication. I return to Germany with both a laughing and a crying eye and am now already looking forward to spending the summer of 2023 as an intern at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, thus achieving another milestone in my career so far.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation in my hometown of Wolfsburg for the financial support I received during my semester abroad and for the confidence they have shown in my academic path.

After a successful semester abroad as a visiting scholar at the University of Texas, the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation scholarship also accompanied me through the final phase of my Master’s degree. The financial support enabled me to complete an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and to link the theoretical research areas of my studies with practical experience at the pulse of transatlantic communication. Building on this, I rounded off my academic training with a thesis on the dynamics in the German-American relationship since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, which received great recognition in specialist circles even as it was being written.

I would like to sincerely thank the entire team of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation for their trust in my development and for the great tailwind that brought me from Erfurt via Texas to Berlin and enabled me to seize key opportunities for my professional future and to grow with new challenges.

Sebastian Wucharz

During my practice-integrated bachelor’s degree at Volkswagen AG, I experienced the lasting influence of Prof. Hahn and his significant role in the company’s history.

I was particularly impressed by his vision of fairer education and equal opportunities in practice. He recognised early on that cosmopolitanism and exchange with people from different backgrounds form a central basis for the performance of a society.

With this in mind, I completed an international double master’s degree. In addition to my master’s degree in Management and Leadership at Andrássy University in Budapest, I completed a second master’s degree in International Management at the International University Institute (IHI) Zittau at the Technical University of Dresden. I successfully completed both programmes with very good results (1.0). The intercultural focus of my studies had a lasting impact on my professional skills and personal development.

However, the path to academic excellence is often fraught with financial challenges, especially in an international context. This makes me all the more grateful for the support I received from the Carl Hahn Scholarship, which assists talented young people from the Volkswagen catchment area who aspire to pursue an internationally oriented course of study. After submitting a speculative application and two very positive interviews with the foundation’s board, I received confirmation of my scholarship shortly afterwards.

The support provided by the Carl and Marisa Hahn-Foundation has not only given me financial security, but has also enabled me to focus fully on my academic goals and successfully complete my double degree. I am extremely grateful to the Carl and Marisa Hahn-Foundation for their trust and ongoing support. I am happy to carry on the values of the foundation and see the support as motivation to continue to fulfil my professional and social responsibilities with commitment in the future.

Sven Wiesner – Master of Science in Computer Science, 2022

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I became aware of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation scholarship through a Wolfsburg newspaper article and subsequently submitted my application.

At the time, I had already been accepted for a place at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and was therefore looking for scholarships that would also support studies abroad. After a pleasant conversation with Dr Hahn, I was accepted for the scholarship, which relieved me of a large part of the financial burden of studying.

The scholarship had my back during my time at university and enabled me to focus on my studies.

During my Bachelor’s degree, I also had the freedom to spend a semester abroad at the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, thus broadening my horizons not only professionally but also culturally. I am also very grateful that I was able to count on the Foundation’s support for my Master’s degree and was thus helped to obtain my degree.

I would particularly like to emphasise the extraordinarily friendly and uncomplicated contact with the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation from the very beginning, which enabled me to interact with the Foundation even from abroad. As a former scholarship holder, I remain connected to the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation and would like to express my sincere thanks for the long-lasting support, and especially to Dr. Hahn for his interest and commitment.

Carlotta Crome

Carl-Marisa-Hahn-Stiftung-Stipendiatin-Carlotta-Chrome-Portrait

After successfully completing my Bachelor’s degree in Munich, I was able to start my Master’s degree with a year abroad at the TU Delft in the Netherlands and successfully complete my Master’s degree in Munich in the summer of 2021.

Thanks to the scholarship of the Carl and Marisa Hahn Foundation, I was able to complete half of my Master’s degree abroad. The constant support throughout my studies has given me a lot of freedom. I am very grateful to be part of the network of (now former) scholarship holders.

Prof. Hahn’s commitment is also admirable outside the Foundation. It is inspiring how he works for equal access to education worldwide and actively supports this by building schools. To add to this the foundation helps wheelchair-bound people in Wolfsburg with the MarisaMobil to gain mobility and freedom.

The life’s work of Prof. Hahn makes it clear that it is close to his heart to help people all over the world and make their everyday life easier. I am thankful that I have personal contact with Prof. Hahn, which creates a very familiar atmosphere in the scholarship.

In June 2021 I completed my master’s degree in economics and organizational sciences in Munich and completed two semesters abroad at the TU Delft in the Netherlands as part of my master’s degree. In my master’s thesis, I examined the influence of digital technologies on the sustainability reporting of organizations.

Many thanks for the support.