The world at VUB: meet Narges from Tehran, Iran

The VUB is one of Belgium’s most international universities. More than a third of our students come from abroad. But who are they, what drives them, and how do they experience life in Brussels? In this new series, we introduce you to our international students. Today: Narges from Iran, a second-year master’s student in Educational Sciences.

“I grew up in Tehran, Iran’s capital, but because it’s such a busy city with quite a lot of pollution, my family moved to the north of the country. It’s much calmer and greener there,” Narges begins. That is where she met her future spouse. They married, and when her partner had the opportunity to study in the Netherlands, she joined him. “When he then got the chance to start a PhD in civil engineering in Ghent, we moved again – this time to Belgium. Last year, I decided to return to my own studies and began a master’s in Educational Sciences at the VUB. It’s my second master’s degree; I already completed one in psychology in Iran.”

Sporty Belgians

Belgium wasn’t a total unknown when she moved here. “My brother-in-law, my sister’s husband, is Belgian,” she laughs. “So we already had a pretty good idea of where we were heading. And Brussels immediately felt right. It’s such a multicultural city that I felt at home from day one as an international student.”

Voorlopig geniet Narges nog volop van haar statuut als internationale student. “Ik ben iemand die erg geïnteresseerd is in andere culturen, gewoontes, talen,..., en aan de VUB is er zo’n diverse community dat je die ook volop kan ontdekken. Dat is voor mij echt een heel waardevol pluspunt.” Wat soms minder evident is, is het leeftijdsverschil met collega-studenten. “Aangezien het mijn tweede master is, zijn de meeste studenten bijna tien jaar jonger dan ik. Dat voel je onvermijdelijk in onze interesses en g — Narges with her spouse

The language, however, proved a bit of a hurdle. “I had learnt some Dutch while living in Delft, and that basic knowledge still helps me today. Only, in Brussels it’s often not enough. You need to manage in French as well. That bilingual environment is quite a challenge.” Any Belgian habits that caught her eye? “Belgians are a lot sportier than people in my home country. So many people jogging or running! And what I found very strange at first is that people here sometimes drink a beer even during the day.” (laughs)

Exploring

What does a weekday look like for her? “It starts with a train ride from Ghent to Brussels, hoping to arrive on time. Fortunately, the trains run more smoothly here than in the Netherlands, where we faced many more delays and cancellations.” Narges has lectures at the VUB two to three days a week on average. “At the weekend, we try to discover more of Belgium. We go exploring in Brussels or Bruges, for example. After our studies I want to travel more, but for now there are still too many deadlines to meet.”

For the moment, Narges is fully enjoying her life as an international student. “I’m someone who’s very interested in other cultures, habits, languages… and at the VUB the community is so diverse that you can really immerse yourself in all of it. That’s a huge added value for me.”
What’s sometimes a bit trickier is the age gap with her fellow students. “Because this is my second master’s, most students are nearly ten years younger than I am. You inevitably feel that in our interests and conversations. It’s a challenge, but also an opportunity, in a way.”

Carpets from Iran

Even though Narges feels at home in Belgium, she still carries a quiet longing for her home country. “Iran is famous for its hand-woven, colourful carpets, and every time I visit, I bring one back to decorate our home here. They remind me of the warmth and hospitality of where I come from.”

She normally tries to visit her home country and family once a year. “But this year that was impossible because of the so-called ‘12-day war’ with Israel. Those were the hardest 12 days of my life. I also had three exams during that period, and I simply wasn’t able to study. Luckily, my professors were very understanding and supportive, and I’m still deeply grateful to them.”

Big dream

And finally, how does she see the future? “I’m currently writing an application for an FWO (Research Foundation – Flanders) fellowship to start a PhD. That’s my big dream. I truly hope to stay here, to live and work in Belgium. And if the PhD works out, I’ll also have four extra years to improve my Dutch. Maybe I can even help other non-native speakers in the future – who knows.”