Swiss Study Foundation supports Zug STEM student

Eleven students who are already recipients of Swiss Study Foundation (Schweizerische Studienstiftung) grants will receive a Werner Siemens Fellowship for the next academic year, 2025/26. Among them is Danja Zengaffinen from Zug, a master's student in Life Sciences Engineering and Quantum Science and Technology at the EPF Lausanne.
 

‘The requirements are outstanding academic performance and a willingness to promote and advance STEM subjects in society,’ said the foundation in a statement. The scholarship comprises a monthly contribution of CHF 1,650, with ten renewable scholarships awarded each year. ‘STEM’ is an acronym that stands for the overarching disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (in German: MINT: Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaften und Technik).

Danja Zengaffinen is particularly enthusiastic about the interdisciplinary nature of her studies, according to the foundation. Thanks to her minor subject, she has been able to expand her knowledge of physics, and in particular quantum physics, and now hopes to apply this knowledge to biomedical engineering. In July 2025, the 25-year-old will begin an internship at a start-up in the field of proton therapy for clinical radiology. After that, she plans to complete her master's thesis at a partner university.

Danja Zengaffinen is supported by the Swiss Study Foundation         Photo: zvg

In addition to her studies, she runs ‘Coding Clubs for Girls’ for 11- to 15-year-old girls and supports particularly motivated girls in additional mentoring programmes. As part of her work with the IngCH association, she also organises technology and computer science weeks for school classes, bringing her enthusiasm for science directly into the classroom.

After completing her studies, Danja Zengaffinen plans to combine her two fields of study, life sciences engineering and quantum engineering, to develop innovative technologies for human health.

She had already received a scholarship from the foundation for the 2024/2025 academic year.