DAAD prize for outstanding achievements of international students studying at German universities goes to Aria Baghestani

Aria Baghestani, a student from Tehran (Iran) studying for a master’s degree in dramaturgy, was awarded the German Academic Exchange Service’s (DAAD) prize for outstanding achievements of international students studying at German universities in October last year. Worth €1,000, the prize has been awarded by Goethe University Frankfurt annually since 2002, and recognizes outstanding international students, who make a special contribution to social and cultural life both within and outside the university.
Following his Bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Literature at the University of Tehran, Aria Baghestani became an international student at Goethe University, where he enrolled in the Faculty of Modern Languages’ Double Degree Master Program in Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research. After contending with problems obtaining a visa, which unfortunately are not uncommon for potential students applying from Iran, he completed two semesters of intensive German language study, enabling him to join the Master Program in Dramaturgy, which is taught in German at a high linguistic standard. Baghestani completed his degree with top marks in January 2024 and is now preparing to do a doctorate.
Prof. Nikolaus Müller-Schöll (Institute for Theatre, Film and Media Studies, TFM), who nominated Baghestani for the prize, paid tribute to his expertise and talent as well as his broad social and artistic commitment, emphasizing that the laureate is an outstandingly skilled artist, writer, dramaturg and academic. Baghestani’s MA dissertation is a highly theoretical exploration of current practices in the performing arts, which addresses Walter Benjamin’s question of whether narration is still possible today and if so, how. He takes as his explicit starting point the crisis identified by Benjamin – i.e. the decline of narration – to ask what has become of narration following this crisis. From these initial questions, the author develops new insights by analyzing works by Robert Lepage and Walid Raad, Rabih Mroué, Lina Majdalanie and Tania El Khoury, and includes considerations on the topic by Philipp Lejeune, Paul de Man and Jacques Derrida. Baghestani gained practical experience related to his degree at the renowned Maxim Gorki Theater, where he deepened his dramaturgical knowledge.
Baghestani’s special talent is not limited to grappling with complex academic questions; he also likes to set things in motion and make a difference. His organizational skill and unusual social competence come to play in several projects, including the organization of festivals such as “Work in Progress” (WIP), an experimental space for discussing and analyzing works by theater students. As a student assistant at the Institute for Theatre, Film and Media Studies, Baghestani’s exceptional commitment and expertise made a key contribution to optimizing the organization of collections of theater recordings and have thus greatly helped improve the conditions for new generations of TFM students.
Baghestani also does voluntary work with disadvantaged children in Iran; in Germany, he supports the rights of refugees and the emancipation of the Roma community. His activities, especially those in international workshops and projects such as the Ruhrtriennale festival, testify to his social and linguistic competence as well as his expert knowledge. He also deploys these skills in his voluntary work, where he displays a keen awareness of intercultural and transcultural issues.
Prof. Viera Pirker, Goethe University’s Vice President Teaching and Studies, presented Baghestani with his certificate on October 1; the award ceremony was part of the orientation event for first-semester international Master’s students. Dr. Rebekka Göhring, who heads the Global Affairs Study and Teaching department, welcomed the international students and numerous other guests from dedicated internal and external support and advisory offices.
News of Aria Baghestani’s skillset has spread beyond Goethe University: He recently received a scholarship from the Hans Böckler Foundation to finance his planned doctorate. So, being awarded the DAAD prize may have considerably boosted the visibility of his achievements.
Susanne Jauernig
Nominations for the DAAD prize 2025 will commence in early 2025. The Global Affairs Study and Teaching department is once again hoping for a large number of nominations of potential candidates.