The DAAD Prize for Outstanding Achievement by International Students at German Universities for the year 2025, which amounts to 1,000 Euro, was awarded by the University of Cologne to Le Hoang Uyen Nguyen from Vietnam.

Ms. Le Hoang Uyen Nguyen is 22 years old and successfully completed her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at the University of Cologne with an outstanding grade of 1.1 (German grading system) in the summer semester of 2025. In the winter semester of 2025/26, she will begin her Master's studies in "Business Analytics & Econometrics" at the University of Cologne.

In addition to her studies, Ms. Nguyen is actively involved in volunteer work. Between 2022 and 2023, she supported AIESEC Go Global, advising young people who wanted to do an internship in Germany. Currently, she volunteers regularly at Caritas in the "Kölsch Hätz" project, where she assists elderly people with their daily activities. Furthermore, she has been involved in various other projects, including as a volunteer helper in the successful organization of the Germany Festival in 2018, contributing to the social project "BAO" in the same year, and participating in the charity projects "Striped" (2016) for environmental protection and "Panacea" (2016) to support children who are in the hospital for long-term stays.

The DAAD Prize is sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service and awarded by the universities. The University of Cologne has been awarding it since 1995 and has so far honoured students from over twenty different countries. The prize is awarded to international students for special academic achievements. The award was presented on October 10, 2025 at the City of Cologne's Town Hall Reception for international students from all of Cologne's universities in the historic Cologne Town Hall.