Oldenburg. Outstanding academic achievements paired with remarkable social and cultural commitment to refugees: Italian Matteo Carbognani, a Master's graduate from the University of Oldenburg, was awarded the 2014 German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) prize for this. The award for international students is endowed with 1,000 euros and is presented once a year at the university.

At the end of September, 26-year-old Carbognani completed the international study programme "European Master on Migration and Intercultural Relations" (EMMIR) with distinction. Alongside his studies, he was constantly involved in voluntary work. For example, a seminar research project on the Oldenburg voucher system for refugees led to him supporting local anti-racist initiatives throughout the semester. During an internship lasting several months in Uganda's largest UN refugee camp with 75,000 inhabitants, Carbognani developed his own project to directly address young refugees - in addition to his daily work. Over a period of weeks and months, he wrote songs with a group of young Congolese and recorded them with limited technical equipment. Their scientific analysis and classification in the context of refugee and development aid was then at the centre of his Master's thesis. At the same time, he inspired fellow campaigners for his art education project, which is still ongoing.

Carbognani is currently working for the outgoing Italian naval operation "Mare Nostrum" to rescue refugees at sea off Lampedusa and supports asylum seekers after their arrival in Italy.

The 26-year-old was unable to attend the award ceremony in person, but was connected via Skype from Lampedusa. The laudatory speech was given by the supervisor of his Master's thesis, EMMIR lecturer Jan Kühnemund.

_{Press release from the University of Oldenburg}