Hony Poordeilami

A journey from the Persian empire to the heart of Europe…

For quite a long time, and after finishing my first Master's degree in Iran (Industrial Engineering), I have been busy working in different companies, mostly involving engineering and, recently, Business and operations. In addition, I was in charge of developing business horizons in different countries. Although I was making good progress in my career, I found out the knowledge trends were altering quickly; I needed to update my knowledge in a Business school or a well-known university, and that was when my journey started …

Love at first sight…

During one of my Business trips in Brussels, I came to visit one of my friends in Gent, we went for dinner, and I had a chance to have a short talk with a couple of students studying at Ugent, and they shared their experiences over a cold beer. I was touched by how much education is changed and updated since I last went to the University and how we experienced it in Iran. The next day, in the early morning, I found myself walking around UFO and Tweekerken campuses. Then sparkle happened. I fell in love with the Ugent and the city. So I started searching the internet, visiting websites, Linkedin, and social media (most were, unfortunately, in Dutch). In the evening, I went to a beautiful café in Gent centrum, opened my laptop, and ordered a cup of coffee, accompanied by a pleasant song from Frank Sinatra (Somethin' Stupid) expressed all of my love and wrote about the horizon that I was looking for, for a long time in my life and I felt it could be more visible from the Ugent, gathered them all in a document and named it "My Motivation letter.pdf" and started my application procedure. The next day, I flew back to my hometown, Tehran but left my heart in Ugent.

When life decides to surprise you at each stage…

After a couple of months, one day, I was coming out of a long and challenging meeting at our company, and while I was trying to swallow a dry Persian cookie picked up from the CEO's office that was scratching my throat, I looked at my phone screen. It was Gmail. Opened it, and it was Ugent. Guess what? They said YES !!! I could not feel my legs anymore. I wanted to shout and express my feelings, but my mouth was full, and it took me 2 minutes to be able to yell.  Finally, I could have another chance to experience sweet college days in a city where I left my heart and knew someday I would be there again (I’m not crazy, You should be at my age to miss college days).

I was so excited about the coming chapter of my life, so I prepared quickly and ready to get on board, but sometimes things will not go as you expected.

After I sent my visa application to the Belgium Embassy in Tehran, while I was packing and trying to fit all of my belongings in 40 Kg luggage (make sure you apply for student terms at airlines. They give you more baggage allowance and a good discount on your flights), I found out that my Visa is taking too long to issue. It was stressful because I was approaching the beginning of the semester. In addition, many things needed to be arranged (such as finding accommodation, applying for a student residence permit, and so on).

The semester had already started, a month had passed, students were involved with their classes and assignments, and I was still hanging out with my friends in Tehran and worried about my situation and unclear future. I kept writing emails to the faculty programme coordinator and International affairs. They were kind and collaboratively responded to my emails each time, making my heart warm every time. Then after 2 months, when I was disappointed to obtain my Visa, I went to the embassy for the final follow-ups and found out my Visa was finally issued. I took my passport, booked the most available flight, had one of my best nights of sleep on the airplane, and took myself to Ugent in the last week of the late enrolment period.

First days at UGent…

To be honest, I could not really enjoy the first days of my arrival (not like what Emily experienced in Emily in Paris, a Netflix series), thanks to the embassy and visa procedure. It was a pity I could not spend my time meeting new people, exploring the city, enjoying the nightlife, etc., because it was already 8 weeks had passed, and I had tonnes of materials to read and a couple of projects to do while I was hearing that the fast train of the exam is approaching to my station. Needless to say that the Christmas holidays are just a joke when you are a student (Specifically at Ugent, and you arrived two months late).

Life in Gent

Gent is a convenient place with many attractions that draw your attention and can not be easily ignored. Medieval castles and churches can take you deep into the fog of history when the armoured knights rule the town. Beautiful parks and well-equipped sports complexes can be a perfect spot for those who prefer a healthier lifestyle. Clubs, bars, restaurants, and café cover almost all tastes and cuisines but may seem a bit overpriced, but you will surely find some affordable hot spots suitable for the students (Be careful that the 250 models of Belgian Beers can let you bankrupt for a glimpse. I’m walking on the edge). Public transportation is well-designed and organized throughout the city and helps you reach any point with new trams and buses (Too bad it is not free for the students). The dedicated bicycle path is already facilized a more sustainable way of transportation for students who are not lazy to ride to the campus (I am proud to say I am one of them, But be aware of the thieves!). Take it into consideration that sometimes finding a nice and affordable place to stay can be more difficult than finding the fountain of life or Jesus' blood, especially during August and September (Think ahead before your arrival because university dorms are limited. My humble regards to the Erasmus and exchange students). Finally, the weather might not be well received by those who prefer to lie down on summer beaches and enjoy the sunlight with a margarita, but instead, it is pleasant for those who would like to grab a cup of hot coffee and walk through the city in cold, cloudy, or rainy days and watch the Flanders flags dancing above the castles (I belong to the second category, so bring your headphone and umbrella) Honestly speaking, the persistent wind is annoying.

Fascinating Infrastructures:

I was quite impressed by the various services that the University offered to the students, such as an e-learning platform and online collaboration spaces that keep you in close contact with the other students and professors. Besides, you are just a click away from accessing state-of-the-art articles and journals such as Science Direct and software like Ms. Office 365, thanks to the Ugent-provided account.

Classrooms (Auditoriums) are large and technically well-equipped in terms of audio and projection. In some, you can easily plug your laptop without worrying about the battery percentage, and they also have enough legroom (better than Ryan Air flights). In addition, some courses are being recorded and saved in your profile to be accessed later, and that's an innovation that reduced my stress for exams when I knew I was free to watch it again wherever I felt like I needed more clarification while studying it.

Advanced level of knowledge:

As a former business developer and current Business Engineering Master's student at the Faculty of Economics and Business, I found Ugent courses in line with the latest trends in Business and world changes. The professors try to include the latest findings and research (Even published in 2023) in their study materials and encourage students to be in touch with the cases and industries. Moreover, they let you put your obtained knowledge during the course into practice by completing assignments and projects from real-world issues in different firms and companies. As a student, you never feel left alone because professors or assistants are always welcome to answer your questions and clarification as they hold a couple of online meetings or guided sessions during the semester to help you with your assignments and study materials and provide feedback on each stage to make sure you are in track. The bad news is, the expectations are higher, and the exams would not be an easy challenge at all !!! But take a deep breath. There also will be a piece of good news, in most of the courses, there will be another chance to take the exam in the summer without needing to take the course again. (So don't let the summer breaks be another joke like the Christmas holidays)

Life-Study balance

As a freshman at Ugent, I get announcements regarding a specific event arranged in or out of the University daily. They could be cultural exhibitions, short trips, eating out, gatherings, sports matches, festivals, and hundreds of others. So one day, you may receive an email for a beer gathering in an Irish pub. Another day, you may see a flyer on the faculty board inviting you to an Erotic show around the city (So prepare yourself for the application).

The University also puts too much care into the mental well-being of its students by offering free and private psychological support during their study periods. It could be significantly useful for some of us, specifically those like me who suffer from stress that always reduces their performance during exams. 

As you know, the financial aspects of student life may not look so pretty. Still, The University also offers many student jobs where you can make yourself busy during your study period part-time and make some cash out of it. However, most of them require the Dutch language, which might not be an option for most international students, but during some events, they connect you to the HR agencies around the city to find a proper student job.

You are not alone before your departure …

Some of us, including me, always worry about finding a dream job after our studies. So our faculty holds annual job fairs and career days with many participant companies to help students evaluate opportunities, learn about different job positions, find companies for their internships, and get hired once they finish their Master's degree. In addition, University is well engaged with the companies and city authorities to pave the way for fresh graduates and job seekers. So don't worry about your future!

To conclude…

As an experienced engineer close to my mid-thirties who joined the programme after all these years from another country, It could have been a risky move to abandon my job and my life in my home country to seek a better future, self-development somewhere else, and study again. I felt a bit strange during my first days of arrival, as most of my classmates were younger than me, spending their mid-twenties, and I thought I was far away from them and wasting my time. But Ugent made me feel more certain about my upcoming whenever I visit faculty and talk to professors. Of course, it might not be a perfect choice for everyone in this age group, but I am confident it would be an elegant opportunity for the ones with ambitious thoughts and no fear of beginning from a zero point and equipping themselves to the state of art business knowledge in the data and AI era.