Nicht nur Studierende aus Deutschland sammeln im Ausland Erfahrungen. Die Universität Koblenz-Landau hat viele ausländische Studierende, die ihren Weg an die zwei Standorte gefunden haben. Syed Nabil Afraz Bukhari ist einer von ihnen. Der 24-jährige Pakistani studiert seit dem Sommersemester 2016 am Campus Koblenz. Im Uniblog berichtet er über seine Erfahrungen und sein Leben in Deutschland.

Not only students from Germany are going abroad to gain experiences. A lot of foreign students from different countries make their way to the University of Koblenz-Landau. One of them is Syed Nabil Afaraz Bukhari. Since 2016 the 24-year-old student from Pakistan studies in Koblenz. For Uniblog he gives an insight into his experiences and his current life in Germany.

I’ve always seen myself as a citizen of the world so it was obvious to leave my country for studying abroad. Before the decision of going to Germany, I studied Computer Engineering at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi, nowadays the biggest city of Pakistan. Computer technology has become a part of everyday life, it was quite inevitable for me to escape from learning the mysteries behind it. This curiosity of learning motivated me to combine my technical skills and experiences from different projects in the IT industry with a master’s degree.

A choice for quality

At the same time, I somehow felt that it is the right moment to go abroad. I chose a German University due to their extensive research-oriented programs on master’s level. Especially the Master of Web Science in Koblenz offered me various possibilities to improve my knowledge and to do research in the fields I am interested in. Basically, the University of Koblenz-Landau is a pioneer for Web Science in collaboration with some other universities from the WEST Network.

Now, after almost two semesters, I still feel somehow privileged to be part of the University of Koblenz-Landau. All the events organized by the Welcome Center are exceptional and the teachers support students a lot. I really enjoy being a student in Koblenz.

Like apples and oranges, but still fruits

When I look at different cultures and civilizations, I really tend to learn a lot from it. In my opinion this is what we call experience. Germany has a diverse culture, the norms here are different from our part of the world. Learning and collecting these benefits from other cultures to make it a part of my life is what I look upon as my goal. Germans are quite open-minded, clear, polite, punctual and hard-working people and these are the qualities which I would like to adopt. I really enjoyed the countryside while I was traveling around and count it as one of the most developed countries which I have ever been to. I have seen many German cities like Cologne, Frankfurt and Karlsruhe and I also traveled to the Netherlands. Europe is a great place.

Of course, I still miss my own country. You just cannot compare an apple with an orange. Like fruits, both countries have different qualities and both have their own taste of everything. People from different countries differ due to their habits, which separates them from other communities. People here are friendly but somehow I feel like everyone is living his own life, while in my country people are really mixed up. Nevertheless, although Pakistani and German life is completely different, I cannot say that I feel any differences in quality of life between Koblenz and my hometown for myself. Probably this is caused by my thinking and state of mind: Life is beautiful and it does not matter where you are.

There is just one thing I really miss from time to time: Pakistani dishes. Although I also appreciate German meals, I mostly try to cook my traditional food. But there are a couple of special ingredients you cannot buy in Germany.

Unpredictable future

People often ask “When are you planning go back?” or “What are your plans for the future?” Well, I cannot predict the future. If I get some good opportunities here, I will stay. Or I will leave for another opportunity. I am free to do whatever is best for me and my career. One day, I would like to take up a research-oriented work after completing my studies and I hope to achieve my dream: Making a contribution to technology and hence to society – one that will change the face of things.

Hannah Wagner