
Application deadline: 15 September 2026 · Notification of acceptance: 21 September 2026
TU Chemnitz invites applications for long-term research and study stays in artificial intelligence within AI GlobalMinds – Global Minds Advancing Next-Generation Sustainable AI for Innovation Leadership, a cooperation project funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) under its Academic Horizons programme.
The programme supports outstanding Master’s students and early-stage doctoral candidates from Chile, Serbia and Tunisia in coming to TU Chemnitz for a supervised stay in artificial intelligence, with access to the research environment, academic training and career services of the university. Travel and stay expenses are covered by the DAAD.
The call is open to students and researchers who are enrolled at a university in Chile, Serbia or Tunisia and belong to one of the following groups:
Proof of English proficiency is required from all applicants (for a Master’s study stay: at least level B2). Basic German (A1) is welcome but not a condition for admission.
Applications should relate to one of the following focus areas of the project:
These focus areas sit within the wider thematic framework of the project: sensing and data collection, data processing and representation, learning and intelligence, responsible AI and systems validation, and sustainable AI implementation.
The following places are available in the 2026 call. Comparable numbers are planned for the calls in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
| Home country | Master’s study stay | Doctoral research stay |
|---|---|---|
| Chile | 2 places, 5 months (October 2026 – February 2027) |
1 place, 3 months (October – December 2026) |
| Serbia | 3 places, 6 months (September 2026 – February 2027) |
1 place, 4 months (September – December 2026) |
| Tunisia | 3 places, 5 months (October 2026 – February 2027) |
1 place, 3 months (October – December 2026) |
Besides the long-term stays described here, the project also runs a short-term mobility format of ten days (TUC Exploration Bootcamp) for talents from Tunisia and Serbia. It is advertised in a separate call.
Selected participants are supported throughout their stay:
Travel and stay expenses are covered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The grant covers
There are no tuition fees at TU Chemnitz; students only pay a semester contribution of EUR 341.40 (winter semester 2026/2027), which covers the services of the Studentenwerk (sport and culture), the student union, a culture ticket for museums and theatres in Chemnitz, and the Germany-wide semester ticket for public transport.
Which documents are required depends on the type of stay applied for. Only complete applications will be considered.
| Document | Master’s study stay | Doctoral research stay |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum vitae (CV) | required | required |
| Academic transcripts | Bachelor’s transcript | all academic transcripts |
| Letter of motivation | required | required |
| Research proposal | – | required |
| List of potential supervisors at TU Chemnitz | – | required |
| Letter(s) of recommendation | required | required |
| Evidence of AI-related skills | required | – |
| Publications / research outputs | – | if available |
| English language certificate | required, at least B2 | required |
| German language certificate | basic German, A1 preferred | – |
| Proof of enrolment | required | required |
| Support letter from the supervisor at the home university | – | required |
All complete and eligible applications are assessed in a competitive review procedure by a selection committee according to the following criteria:
All applicants are notified of the selection decision by email by 21 September 2026.
Deadline for submission: 15 September 2026
Please upload your complete application as a single PDF file to our TUC Cloud file drop. Name the file after yourself, for example Surname_Firstname.pdf.
Dr. Achraf Djemal
Project Coordinator AI GlobalMinds
Phone: +49 371 531-38165
Email: acdj@…
Address: Reichenhainer Straße 70, 09126 Chemnitz
Room: C25.215 (prev. 2/W215)
AI GlobalMinds is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) within its Academic Horizons programme with funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).