Keen to explore the interplay of different cultures across the Bosporus, Clemens Giselbrecht, a student on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Business Administration, chose Bahçeşehir University for his Erasmus semester. In this interview, he shares his experiences and offers some advice for students with Erasmus plans.
Keen to explore the interplay of different cultures across the Bosporus, Clemens Giselbrecht, a student on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Business Administration, chose Bahçeşehir University for his Erasmus semester. In this interview, he shares his experiences and offers some advice for students with Erasmus plans.
Why did you choose Turkey and Bahçeşehir University for your exchange semester?
Napoleon Bonaparte once said: “If the earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.” With a population of around 18 million, Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents. It is the meeting point of myriad cultures, and, in the truest sense of the word, a bridge between the modern West and the oriental East.
That, along with the buzz of the big city and the opportunity to experience a variety of different cultures, was the reason why I chose to spend my semester abroad in Istanbul. Another factor was that I managed to find a private, English-language university right by the Bosporus that aims to forge links with international elite universities.
How did you prepare yourself for your Erasmus semester?
How did the International Office team assist you in your preparations?
I did a lot of research into the country, the city and the culture on the Internet. Before starting out on my semester abroad, I also had a whole lot of red tape to deal with. Selecting the right course is especially time-consuming.
The International Office team gave me invaluable support and took a lot of the work off my hands. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the whole team once again for their fantastic help, and especially Mirjana Matic-Schädler: without her, the amazing experience of my semester abroad wouldn’t have been possible.
What did you look forward to the most? What was the greatest challenge?
What I most looked forward to was the newness of it all: new people, a new environment and culture – just a new life of a kind I’d never experienced before. The biggest challenge, without a doubt, was finding my way around on a day-to-day basis. Initially, communicating with the locals proved extremely difficult, because people on the street speak little or no English.
How were you received at the university in Istanbul, and how were you assisted during your studies?
I was very impressed with the efforts made by the International Office to organize everything at Bahçeşehir University. My expectations concerning Turkish bureaucracy and the whole idea of studying in Turkey hadn’t been particularly high.
The university arranged an induction day for all the exchange students before the first official week of term, where they gave us lots of important information about the country, the city, the culture and the people. After the initial briefing, my “buddy” was already waiting outside the lecture hall to give me a guided tour of the university campus. We immediately became friends, and we often met up outside of class too.
The university also organized a boat party on the Bosporus during the first week of term. Only Erasmus students were invited, and it was a chance for us to get to know each other. We took a night-time trip through the Bosporus with free food and drink laid on.
The only thing that was a bit chaotic was the way the university handled the course registrations. Many Erasmus students, myself included, had big problems registering for our courses, because the system kept throwing up error messages. The result was that I had no access to course materials during the first month and I wasn’t sure I would actually get onto all the courses I had chosen. Still, with a bit of flexibility combined with a certain amount of persistence, everything worked out fine in the end.
What was the highlight for you? What can you take with you from this time abroad that can help you personally or in your studies?
Making friends with other international students. Because everyone was in the same boat and at the beginning nobody knew anybody, it was easy to make social contacts. The group became increasingly large and more international. We met on the university campus and went on trips together, either arranged by the Erasmus organization or, later, on our own initiative. We were able to learn a great deal about a wide range of cultures and I struck up some very close friendships.
I developed a lot as a person during my time there. Especially in terms of open-mindedness and social skills, which are two very important qualities in today’s global business world.
What recommendations would you offer to students at the University of Liechtenstein who are planning an Erasmus semester?
Grab this unique opportunity to spend a semester abroad. It doesn’t matter where you go. You won’t regret it! Find out all you can about your chosen destination. The Internet is full of people’s accounts of their experiences, blogs and other sources of information. You can also get in touch with former outgoing students.
PROFILE: Clemens Giselbrecht
- Home country: Austria
- Resident of: Lauterach
- University of Liechtenstein degree programme: Bachelor’s degree programme in Business Administration
- Semester: fifth
Erasmus semester
- Country: Turkey
- Partner university: Bahçeşehir University
- Number of semesters: one
- Type of accommodation: shared flat