July 24 until September 20, 2026

Dear Students,

The Transatlantic Ruhr Fellowship Program offers students who study at the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) the opportunity to gain insight into the US corporate culture and acquire practical professional experience in the United States. (Internships are typically in New York, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Connecticut).

The Program

The fellowship program consists of the following two components: A summer intensive centered around the topic of Entrepreneurial Mindset and an internship of approximately seven weeks in a renowned German-American institution or international organization.

The seminars will cover the following key areas:

• Intercultural Communication
• Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Mindset
• Leadership Skills
• Personal Development

Prerequisites

You must be enrolled as a student for the summer semester at one of the three UA Ruhr universities (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Technische Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen) in Engineering, Natural Sciences, Economics, Liberal Arts or Social Sciences (Bachelor or Master) the year of your application. You are interested in an intercultural environment and would like to experience the professional working environment in the United States and expand your network.

Good command of the English language (B2 at a minimum) is expected!

Application Documents (in English)

• Motivational letter answering the following question in 500 words or less:
  “Why are you the right candidate for the Transatlantic Ruhr Fellowship program?”
• Resume or CV (max. 2 pages – preferred 1 page)
• Official language test verification for English at a B2 level or higher (e.g., high school diploma, DAAD Language Certification, TOEFL, Kaplan)
• Overview of your previous academic achievements (copy of your transcript preferably translated in English but German is also ok)
• Confirmation of enrollment at one of the three UA Ruhr universities
• Letter of recommendation (in English) written by a teacher or professor of your faculty

The Transatlantic Ruhr Fellow Scholarship includes:

• Partial grant for travel and stay in the form of a scholarship approx. in the amount of EUR 2750/- (in total for 8 weeks) exact amount TBD.
• One-week skills-development centered around the topic of “Entrepreneurial Mindset” (including accommodation and excursions)
• Application process for the J-1 visa including the fee for issuance of the DS-2019 (certificate of eligibility for the J-1 visa)
• Matching for internship

Each participant will contribute EUR 500/- prior to the start of the program. Participants will also bear the costs for the DAAD group insurance (approx. EUR 45/- per month) as well as the SEVIS fee and the U.S. Consulate fee for the J-1 visa.

Application Deadline: November, 15. 

Please find more information here.