Are you curious about life and want to get to know other countries and people?

We’re offering you the chance to embark on a unique and unforgettable journey. You will be on the road for at least four weeks, will meet new people and deepen your interests. And best of all, you get to decide where to go! Because this journey is entirely your own.

Get ready for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Apply now
Do you want to discover the world, but don’t have enough cash?

We’ll give you 700 euros – totally independent of your academic achievement, your parents, or your nationality. The only important thing is that you have a plan and do your own thing. You can get far and experience a lot with 700 euros, as you can tell from the short reports (german only) of our many travellers!

Are you ready to strike out on your own?

Apply now
Do you want to discover the world in your own way but don’t feel like mass tourism?

Neither do we! With our scholarship you’ll move independently in a country of your choice*. Without flying - because the journey is part of the experience. It's up to you alone where you spend the night and whatever else you need to live. That’s how you discover places that you fall in love with at first sight, as well as those that you start to appreciate after the second glance.

Discover your world!

*If you are not from Germany you either have to travel to a German speaking country or you have to have a subject related to Germany in order to submit a successful application for a zis scholarship.

Apply now
Have you never travelled alone before?

Then look forward to a whole series of adventures. We will be happy to give you travel tips and help inspire you to find an exciting research topic. That’s how your journey will become unforgettable - and you’ll not only discover new things, but also yourself. And that is more exciting than it may sound - let yourself be inspired by the experiences of other scholarship holders!

Are you ready for your adventure?

Apply now

Discover exciting journey reviews

While you're travelling, you'll keep a diary to record your adventures, wishes, problems and experiences - both for yourself and for others. These records will help you to create your project report after your journey. For some travel topics, it may be a good idea to make a piece of art or craft or an alternative way of documentation to submit alongside your diary.

The following selected travel diaries, project reports, pieces of art and craft and alternative documentations are useful examples of completed projects. They will give you a first impression of the various journey experiences and different types of documentation that are possible. You can find further travel insights in the short reports written by scholarship holders who have already completed their journeys (most of the short reports are still available in German only at this point of time, sorry).

You’ll see: there are no limits set to your creativity!

Short reports

100 Jahre irische Teilung – Wo steht der Nordirlandkonflikt heute? Lorenz Böttcher setzt sich zum Ziel, Menschen und Orte in Nordirland, sowie in der Republik Irland aufzusuchen, deren Leben von der irischen Teilung geprägt sind. Er…

Die Samen – ein Volk auf der Suche nach der eigenen Identität. Isabel Haidlauf reist nach Norwegen und Schweden, um über die Kultur und Traditionen der Sami zu forschen. Voller Begeisterung für das Thema findet sie Arbeit bei einem…

Wie sich junge Griechen die EU der Zukunft vorstellen.

Rosa Gwen Lorenz möchte auf ihrer zis-Reise nach Griechenland herausfinden, wie groß das politische Interesse bei den griechischen Jugendlichen ist und wie ihre Träume und Ziele…

Nayyer Nolte reist 2014 mit seinem Rucksack auf dem Fahrrad durch Dänemark, das Land mit den angeblich glücklichsten Menschen.

Wie ich den Feminismus auf Island entdeckte

Carina Schüssler bereiste 2013 Island und hielt sich dort sechs Wochen lang auf. Sie recherchiert überwiegend in Reykjavik und führt Interviews über die aktuelle Gleichberechtigungsdiskussion.

Im Nachhinein betrachtet ist die Schlüsselerkenntnis, die mir meine zis-Reise wohl gegeben hat: Ich habe gelernt, wie schnell ein Ort, ein Klima, eine Lebensart einen einnimmt, in welch kurzer Zeit man sich heimisch und zu Hause fühlen…

Overview of all the short reports

Examples of travel diaries

Diary of Viktoria Zott, 2005
The Benes Decrees - A Violation of Human Rights in the 21st Century? On the trail of Germans in the Czech Republic
Peter Holderrieth, 2016
God save the music - the music scene in the UK
Diary of Johannes Heuschkel, Bulgaria, 2016
Ecovillages in Bulgaria - on the search for alternative ways of life
Jane Xhilone (American), 1996
Animal welfare groups in Germany - in comparison with Eastern European countries
Diary of Oliver Siontas, Scottland, 2016
Introduced species - Invasion in a Scottish National Park
Diary of Helene Fröhlich, Spain, 2015
Life in the rear view mirror - thoughts and experiences of elderly people in Spain
Sketchbook of Swantje Höft, Black Sea, 2009
Contentment in the faces of the Black Sea
Diary etc. of Dr. Hans-Georg Münch, trip around the world, 1961
World without destination – 4 ½ years hitchhiking around the world
Diary of Peter Holderrieth, UK, 2016
"God save the music" – the music scene in the UK
Diary of Kathrin Neumüller, Switzerland, 2009
The Rhaeto-Romanic in Graubünden - does the endangered language have a future?
Diary of Bernadette Schnabel, Netherlands, 2011
(Locatie) theater festivals in the Netherlands - entertainment, art and self-realization
Spain table study: see the photo documentary of Ulrike Storost, Spain, 1998
Traditional and artistic ceramics in Extremadura

Examples of project reports

Project report of Rosa Gwen Lorenz, Greece, 2016
The dream of Europe - how young Greeks envision the future of the EU
Biscuit tasting and project report of Karolina Lambert, Scottland, 2016
Oats from plot to plate
Claudia Maier, 1988
Church music in France
Project report of Joachim Tscherpel, Sweden/Norway, 2016
The conservation breeding of the dark bee in Sweden and Norway
Project report of Frida Jenny Henneberg, Switzerland
Natural learning at free schools

Examples of pieces of art and craft

Teapot created by Frauke Seippel, Spain, 2008
Handicraft in Andalusia
Manuel Boskamp, Transition Towns in England, 2018
zum Blog und Podcast: http://blog.baldebert.de/zis-reise/
Time capsule – Letters to the past, in the footsteps of Johann Gottfried Seume, written by Antonia Bürke, Italy, 2016
Grand Tour in Italia
Kurzfilm basierend auf Skizzen toskanischer Künstler, animiert von Ina Albrecht, Italien, 2014
Die Inspirationen und Motive der Künstler in Florenz
Artwork by Antonia Grohmann, Poland, 2016
University of Wroclaw - Architecture as part of cultural identity and own inspiration?
Plate created by Viola Relle, Sicily, 2011
Sicilia - island of ceramics

Forge your own path Discover the world in your way!

Forge your own path Choose your own way!

Forge your own path Embrace your originality!

Forge your own path Let the adventure begin!

Discover exciting journey reviews

Short reports

Der Sprung ins kalte Wasser

If you never try, you’ll never know

Die Realität hinter Zahlen

Auf der Suche nach dem Glück in Dänemark

Suchen nach Gleichberechtigung

Flamenco in Andalusien heute

Examples of travel diaries

Examples of project reports

Examples of pieces of art and craft

Any questions?

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The zis-books

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