I first opted for International Business and Management (Bachelor programme) at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen. Although the future professions and the structure of the curriculum appealed to me, I thought this programme was too easy for me. That is why I decided later to follow the Master of Business programme. This master's degree programme takes fourteen months. That’s a short period, so this programme involved a lot of work. My classmates are from a variety of age groups, with many different levels of experience. They are an enormous source of information.
What I find most characteristic about this study? I’ve learned to develop an eagle's eye for all aspects of business and commerce. But you don’t just develop your knowledge and skills; you also grow as a human being. You constantly compare your own culture with all other cultures. The multiple perspective of all my international fellow students, has enlarged my own.  

Country:  Iran, 66.4 inhabitants, 40 times the size of the Netherlands
Loves:  humanity and beauty
Hates:   the fact that many people have to live in poverty

You arrived on 10 August, what was your first impression?
‘Fresh air and beautiful weather, but it does not seem to be like that all seasons… Before I came here, I heard Groningen has a good reputation for its living conditions and I saw that was justified. Compared to my hometown Teheran it is very calm and safe. And flat, Teheran is surrounded by high mountains. The Dutch are very kind, civilized and open-minded. Thanks to my good connections with IBS-Programme Administrator Rose Coates and International Student Office staff members Etelka Csonka and Hedy Elliot I managed to migrate to Groningen. But when I woke up in my student house in Paddepoel the first morning, I thought I was in Shanghai. There were lots of Chinese students.’

Last time you visited Teheran?
‘On 9 August I left Teheran. I had been working for six years as a senior project engineer for EBARA, a Japanese air conditioning company. They have an agency in Teheran, I have been working in Austria, Belgium, Australia, Thailand, Pakistan and the Centre of Africa in very different circumstances. In Sudan for instance, we installed a system for heating, ventilation and air conditioning in a hospital.
‘It was my dream to continue my studies. It is my goal to explore new markets and to upgrade my marketing skills. After that I hope to find a job in Europe, Australia or Asia. Maybe I can even start my own business. If I want to go back to Iran after fourteen months, my company will take me back. I hear Dutch women are very sweet for their husbands and attached to their family and children. I like that. So I want to find a beautiful Dutch girlfriend.’

Why did you choose for Groningen?
‘I searched the internet for many countries to study. I chose for the Netherlands, because the cost of living and the study expenses were relatively low. And of course I knew quite a bit about Groningen and Hanze University because my sister graduated two years ago at the School of Engineering and my niece teaches at the School of Computer Science. So I have some relatives here.
‘I keep in touch with my parents over the internet. My mother is a very modern woman. She has an internet connection, rather unusual for a middle-aged housewife in Iran. She is the bridge to my father at the moment. Phone calls are way too expensive.’

Can you give us an Iranian proverb?
‘Naborde ranj ganj moyasar nemishavad. No pain, no gain.’

Source: Hanzemag

Before Harry came to Groningen he was working for the Bureau of Maritime Affairs in Liberia. He chose IBS because of its reputation as a top-notch professional center of learning for aspiring managers. “The Master of Business Administration uses an integrative approach and teaches core managerial courses such as Human Resource Management, Strategic Management, Management skills and competences and Corporate Responsibility and Ethics. One particular course was most interesting to me: Self Development. This course brought forward to me that the success of any person rests in the hands of that individual. A person can have all of the knowledge in the world, but it will amount to nothing if this person does not have control over his own emotions and thoughts. This made me realize that I had to develop other capacities beyond acquiring only knowledge.

What I loved about the Dutch educational system is the emphasis on team and group work, as opposed to individualism, which I was accustomed to during my life. Besides, Groningen is an awesome student city: lively, peaceful and hospitable to strangers.” Harry’s advice to future students: “prioritize you study, but don’t miss the night life! And… don’t bring clothes. The lighter you arrive,  the better it is for you to take back home some nice things.”

Now that Harry has obtained his Master’s degree, he will return home to his work as his study was financed by his employer. “Simultaneously, I will engage in community work through lecturing youths on the subject of Self Development as I learned during the MBA programme. In the future, I hope to play a leading role in national leadership to chart a positive course for the growth and development of my country.”