DAAD award winner Juliana Gutierrez Gomez: Passion for social entrepreneurship

Even as a little girl, Juliana Gutierrez Gomez dreamed of travelling the world. When she moved to Münster, over 9,000 kilometres away, at the end of 2019, her idealism was no longer enough: just a few weeks later, the coronavirus pandemic broke out and the then 20-year-old had to go into lockdown like everyone else. But Juliana Gutierrez Gomez made the best of the situation, learned German, studied German-Latin American Business Administration at Münster University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and made friends online.

She made up for many of the missed personal encounters at Leuphana: since 2023, she has been studying the Master's programme in Management & Entrepreneurship in Lüneburg and is part of the buddy programme. Students support internationals in settling in Germany. ‘I am a social person and enjoy helping others. I know what it was like when I came here,’ says Juliana Gomez.

She was particularly enthusiastic about the wide range of courses available in the complementary studies programme. She especially remembers a project in which she developed a ‘self-care campaign’ for teachers: ‘I gave ten professors a plant as a symbol of taking good care of themselves, drinking enough and enjoying the sun. Only those who keep an eye on themselves can help others in the long term.’

Her time at Leuphana University had a particular impact on her: ‘I learned a lot about sustainability there. Germany is very advanced in this area. I want to take this knowledge back to Colombia with me.’

Juliana Gomez wants to set up a social enterprise in her home country that supports farmers. ‘Many of them don't get the price their work and their coffee are really worth,’ she explains. However, she first plans to gain professional experience in Germany.

Until her graduation, Juliana Gomez worked as a student trainee at TUI in Hannover in the sustainability department. Among other things, she worked on technical software that helps reduce food waste on cruise ships. As part of a small team, she took on a variety of tasks – from footprint calculation to interviews in the area of environmental and social governance (ESG).

The Colombian is delighted about the DAAD Prize: ‘I really didn't expect my social commitment and academic achievements to pay off in this way.’ Even more wonderful for the recent Master's graduate is that she was able to share this special moment with her mother, who travelled from Colombia especially to celebrate her daughter's success with her.

The DAAD Prize for outstanding academic achievements and social/societal commitment, endowed with prize money of 1,000 euros, is intended to raise public awareness of the enrichment that foreign students bring to universities and society. The prize, awarded by the German Academic Exchange Service, has also been presented annually at Leuphana University Lüneburg for more than ten years.