Inspiring! Joud Amin Dakkuri received DAAD award
January 12, 2022
"Truly outstanding academic achievements – Extremely inquisitive, always willing to learn and improve – Represents the students' interests very well.” Her teacher, Stanislav Chankov, is full of praise for her. With the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Award, Jacobs University Bremen honors international students for their exceptional academic achievements and social commitment. This prize was recently awarded to Joud Amin Dakkuri, who is studying Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) at the English-language university.
It is not the first prize the 20-year-old has won. She already received an academic award at school, the Kings Academy in Jordan. From there she started her journey to Jacobs University in 2019, it was a tour into the unknown. "The beginning was a challenge. I had left home for the first time; everything was completely new to me," she said.
That she embarked on the journey at all and succeeded says a lot about her. Joud is a doer. She is lively, lends a hand, and gets involved. "I'm an extremely outspoken person. If something is wrong, I name the problem." No wonder, then, that as co-chair of the Campus Affair Committee, she represents the interests of Jacobs University's bachelor's students in student government.
Joud does not only stand up for her fellow students, but is also committed as an ambassador on Unibuddy, a platform where prospective students can find out more about the discipline from current students. She chose IEM because it offers so many opportunities and is decidedly hands-on. "Everything I learn there, I can apply," she explained.
The field was only one reason to make the journey to Bremen. Another was the internationality and the diversity associated with it on the Jacobs University campus, with students from more than 110 countries. The journey also became a global discovery tour for Joud. "I made friends from all over the world, I learn about and take part in a wide variety of cultures. That's great," she explained.
"I feel at home in Bremen," Joud said. Her lecturers, like Stanislav Chankov, have also contributed to this. Joud supported him as a teaching assistant in several courses. "The relationship with the teachers at Jacobs University is close. The professors care and open many doors for you," she said.
Joud recently completed her mandatory six-month internship at Baader Bank in Munich. Her tasks there included preparing research reports on individual companies. "The world of finance and stocks has always fascinated me," Joud said. She even managed to convince her parents to invest in stocks.
This summer, she will graduate from Jacobs University with a bachelor's degree. After that, her journey will continue, whether in Europe or the United States is still open. Currently, the 20-year-old is applying for master's programs that deal with finance and engineering. Wherever her path takes her: It is more than likely that it will be a successful one.
This text is part of the series "Faces of Jacobs," in which Jacobs University introduces students, alumni, professors, and staff. More episodes can be found at www.jacobs-university.de/faces.