“AI: My Study Buddy” – Artificial intelligence has long since arrived in everyday student life and is changing how students learn, research and work. Against this backdrop, Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) is holding its 40th poster competition and inviting graphic design students to explore the role of AI in their studies. The competition is aimed at students of graphic design, communication design, visual communication and related courses with a design focus in the field of print media who are enrolled at state or state-recognized universities in Germany in the summer semester of 2026.
Individual perspectives are required: Do students use AI as a reliable learning companion that makes everyday life easier – or do they see it more as competition? How does AI change the way we learn, research and prepare for exams? What role does it play in group work or in the organization of studies? And how does it influence our understanding of education and knowledge? Ethical questions can also take center stage: What does responsible use of AI look like? Where is the boundary between human creativity and machine support?
Registration possible until May 17, 2026
Registration for the competition is open until May 17, 2026. The poster designs must be submitted digitally via an online competition portal by July 26, 2026. A jury of five design experts will first make a digital pre-selection. The best posters will be selected at a jury meeting at the end of November 2026. A total of 10,000 euros in prize money will be awarded. The award ceremony will then take place on April 19, 2027 at the Museum für Kommunikation Berlin. A selection of the 29 best posters will also be exhibited there.
The competition is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and organized in cooperation with the Museum für Kommunikation Berlin.
The jury members of the 40th poster competition are:
- Dietrich Wolf Fenner, Head of Exhibitions, Education and Communication, Museum for Communication Berlin
- Katrin Hinz (em.), Professor of Communication Design at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and currently Founding Dean Faculty Design at the GIU in Cairo
- Andrea Nienhaus, Professor of Communication Design at the IU International University, designer, member of the professional association Kommunikationsdesign e.V.
- Thomas Schmalz, Chairman of the DSW Culture Committee, Managing Director of Studentenwerk Freiberg
- Iris Utikal, Professor of Visual Communication, TH Köln, Köln International School of Design (KISD)
