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International Office
The buildings of the North Campus in the sunshine. © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund
Experience the New York Region!

Transatlantic Ruhr Fellowship

Statue of Liberty in front of a blue sky © UA Ruhr Liaison Office New York

The Transatlantic Ruhr Fellowship Program gives students from the University Alliance Ruhr the opportunity each summer - pending budgetary approval - to hone their intercultural skills in a short summer school and gain practical experience in an internship. You will gain insight into American business culture in the metropolitan region around New York (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut). The application deadline for the program in the USA typically ends around Mid November for the following summer.

The Program

Starting at the end of July/beginning of August the Transatlantic Ruhr Fellows first participate in a one-week summer school on the topic of Entrepreneurial Mindset and then move on to a seven-week internship in a renowned US company or international organization.

Program Dates 2025: 25 July - 20 September

The seminars cover the following topics:

  • Intercultural communication
  • Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Mindset
  • Workshop on leadership skill development
  • Diversity in the workplace

Requirements

During the summer semester you must be enrolled at one of the UA Ruhr universities in the field of engineering, natural science, business, humanities or social science (Bachelor or Master). Teaching degree students may also apply if they would like to gain insight into alternative career fields, but school internships cannot be arranged in this program.

You are interested in an international environment and would like to get to know the regon around New York as an international workplace as well as expand your networks.

Good English language skills are expected (at least B2)!

The call for applications and information about the last few years of the program are available on the UA Ruhr Liaison Office's website. 

Application Process

The application deadline for summer 2025 ends 15 November 2024 (11.59pm in NYC).

  • an English Statement of Purpose* max 500 words
    Please answer the following question: “Why are you the right candidate for the Transatlantic Ruhr Fellowship program?”
  • an American resumé* (one page)
  • an official language certificate for English confirming at least B2 level (e.g. Abiturzeugnis, Kaplan, TOEFL, DAAD Certificate)
  • an overview of past grades (e.g. PDF from BOSS, transcript, copies of certificates)
    Please see the information on the transcript of records in the Checklist for Stays Abroad, in case your classes are not shown in BOSS in English.
  • current enrollment certificate 
  • a letter of recommendation (if possible in English) from a lecturer or professor in your faculty

*Both the statement of purpose and the resumé must be in English. (Use these tips for American applications  as well as the workshops from stellenwerk.)

The appliciation is submitted online.

The program includes the following services:

  • A DAAD PROMOS stipend for travel and living expenses in the amount of 2,750 EUR (2025), paid directy to the participant
  • One-week summer school on "Entrepreneurial Mindset" (including housing and excursions)
  • Assistance with the J1 visa application and the cost of issuing the DS-2019 form
  • Internship placement in a company in the metropolitan region around New York

Fellows will need to reserve their spot with a payment of 500 EUR before the start of the program. Participants also will have to pay for the cost of the insurance policy for DAAD scholars (approximately 38 EUR per month) as well as the SEVIS fee for the J1 visa.

Please note that the cost of living in this region is extremely high. Despite the scholarship and the coverage of certain costs by the UA Ruhr, you will still need to plan on spending quite a bit on rent and meals.

Generally questions can most likely be answered in the International Office's advising hours (see below). Otherwise, you may contact the UA Ruhr office in New York directly:

Priya S. Nayar
Executive Director
UA Ruhr Liaison Office New York
871 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
Tel.: +1 (212) 758-3384
E-Mail: ruhrfellows@ uaruhr.de

Contact

E-mail Inquiries

General inquiries: going-abroad @tu-dortmund.de
Erasmus+ study abroad: erasmus-outgoings @tu-dortmund.de

Office Hours

(Only) Erasmus+ Study Abroad:

Office hours via telephone/zoom with Hella Koschinski: by prior arrangement
Tel.: 0231 755-6247

Office hours in presence: only with appointment
Tue 9:00-12:00

 

General Inquiries - Outgoings (Studies/Internships/Short Programs):

Open office hours (no appointment necessary) with Laura Hope via telephone / Zoom
Tel.: 0231 755-4728  
Mon 10:00-11:30  und  13:30-15:00     (our office will be closed 23.12.-1.1.)
Tue 10:00-11:30  und  13:30-15:00      (our office will be closed 23.12.-1.1.)
   

Do you need to speak to us in person?
Office hours in presence  only with an appointment   (our office will be closed 23.12.-1.1.)
New appointments will be released 14 days in advance. If no appointments are shown as available, this means that all appointments for this time period are already booked. Please then use the open Zoom office hours above.

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