Humboldt University is in the very center of Berlin. Established in 1809, this institution has been ranked among the top 100 universities in the world year after year. Apart from the curriculum, the university has a reputation for many reasons. Humboldt hosts summer and winter programs for international students during the summer and winter breaks each year. Students from different countries can study the subject of their choice for four weeks under this scheme.
I studied Law in Dhaka University. While studying human rights and international law, there was an opportunity to research Rohingya refugees. That is where I got interested in legal rights of asylum seekers and refugees. Since Germany has sheltered refugees from various countries at various times, its universities must be well-taught about the law—I applied to Humboldt University's summer school program with this in mind.In 'Refugee Protection and Forced Migration' course.
I wrote in the application form - I am a citizen of that country, which in 1971 nearly 1 crore people took refuge in neighboring India. And today that same country has been sheltering more than one million Rohingya refugees for years. I knew the summer school selection process was very competitive. After many ups and downs, I finally got the chance. From July 22nd to August 18th my happy lessons took place in a lovely old building by the River Spree in Berlin.
Some of the classmates from different countries including USA, Denmark, England, Ireland, Taiwan have worked with Syrian refugees, some with Ukrainian refugees. Olivia from the University of Glasgow spoke about refugees in the Calais region. According to him, the crisis of refugees in each region is different. Young people have to take the lead in dealing with this kind of global crisis.' I was surprised to hear Olivia's various experiences.
Our course professor José Henrique Fischel worked in the UN refugee camp in Andhra Pradesh for 30 years. Jose, who is now working in Mozambique, told how the life of asylum seekers in various African countries is actually like. I could understand the difference between books and reality by listening to him.
My classmates did not have much idea about the Rohingya problem. I was the only participant from Bangladesh. So I had to take the responsibility of explaining to everyone. I have presented my thoughts about Bangladesh's obstacles, successes and failures in the international community.
While taking classes, I had the opportunity to visit the Berlin-based international foreign policy magazine 'Zenith Magazine' and the headquarters of 'Candide Foundation'. Let me present my thoughts to the foreign media about the role of Bangladesh in dealing with the Rohingya problem. We went to various historical places in Berlin, from various important government institutions to the office of the German Chancellor Olof Schultz. Finally, I returned to my beloved Dhaka city with a bag full of memories and Facebook full of new friends.
10 questions about higher education in the UK
Every year many Bangladeshi students go to UK for higher education. What are the opportunities or challenges of studying there? We spoke to a number of students, researchers, teachers and professionals studying or graduating in the UK.
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