Humza Imran Mirza has travelled around 6,000 kilometres to study Engineering Physics at university. He only left his home country of Pakistan six months ago. But he already feels at home at university. In this interview, he talks about his first experiences.
QUESTION: Mr Mirza, you have been in Germany for six months now and already speak very good German. When did you decide to study in Germany?
MIRZA: I knew as early as 2010 that I would like to study in Germany. This was also due to the fact that I have relatives in Heidelberg and often went there on holiday. So I already had a feel for the language and the culture.
QUESTION: How was your decision received by friends and acquaintances?
MIRZA: At the beginning, a lot of people in Pakistan asked me why I was learning German - almost nobody does that there, they tend to learn French. But I have always been interested in Europe and especially in the history and literature of Germany. I was "infected" by my relatives in Germany. It quickly became clear to me that I also wanted to learn the language.
From the very beginning, my goal was to learn German as well as possible.
QUESTION: How did you prepare for your stay here?
MIRZA: I had already learnt German in my home town of Karachi, a little at school, a lot at home and then again very intensively at the Goethe-Institut there. I first attended a beginners' course there. That wasn't enough for me. Right from the start, my goal was to learn German as well as possible before I went to Germany. That's why I signed up for the B2 course straight away and actually passed it after some initial scepticism from the teachers.
QUESTION: Why did you choose the University of Oldenburg?
MIRZA: Originally, I wanted to study at a university in southern Germany. I applied for a place at Kaiserslautern and Karlsruhe. But I would have had to wait another semester for admission there. But I didn't want to waste any time and also applied to Oldenburg. Everything went very quickly here: I was accepted directly onto the Engineering Physics degree programme. As I had never been to northern Germany before, I saw it as a sign of fate to go there. I have never regretted it.
Why?
MIRZA: I really like everything about Oldenburg. The city is manageable and the people are friendly. Everything at the university is very personal and you quickly make contact. The contact persons at the ISO also helped me a lot to find my way around. The door is always open there. I quickly made contact with other international and Oldenburg students through the programmes offered by the student body and the Uni-Lotsen.
It requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. But that's exactly what I like about it.
QUESTION: What do you particularly like about the university?
MIRZA: The distances here are short and contact with professors or tutors is easy. There is a bit more distance in Pakistan. At first, it was new to me that you have to organise everything yourself at university, which requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. But that's exactly what I like about it.
QUESTION: What is the biggest cultural difference between Pakistan and Germany?
MIRZA: What many people don't realise: In Pakistan, we have a British system in many areas, for example in schools and universities. Pakistani culture, on the other hand, is strongly Americanised. Political relations with the USA are very close and this is also reflected in the culture. Another major difference is that Pakistan is still a developing country in many areas. This is also due to the geopolitical situation. The situation in neighbouring Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism have strongly influenced and restricted the political and economic situation for years. It is only now that the situation is easing a little that domestic policy is once again taking centre stage.
QUESTION: In culinary terms, Germany is also very different from Pakistan. Do you miss Pakistani food?
MIRZA: A little, but I also like German food. I like the food in the canteen and I've tried kale before, which was very interesting. And I really liked East Frisian tea. Black tea is also typical for Pakistan - a commonality.
QUESTION: How do you live in Oldenburg?
MIRZA: I lived in Bremen for the first few months because I couldn't get a place in a hall of residence in Oldenburg. Now I live here in a hall of residence. And the best thing is that I have a great flatmate.
QUESTION: What do you do in your free time?
MIRZA: I socialise a lot with other students. The semester public transport pass is great. We don't have anything like that here. It makes it so easy to explore northern Germany. And there are always nice parties here at the weekend. I really like that because I love going to clubs.
