Scholar's Diary
Mounzer Al Shater is writing a diary for us about his life this year as an MBI Scholar at MODUL University sharing different aspects of his experiences as a Syrian student in Vienna.
If you have any questions for Mounzer or any comments on his diary entries please feel free to send them to us at info@mbifoundation.com.
1 April 2010
Now comes a new stage in my life, the studying has begun.
I came to Vienna to pursue my MBA degree at MODUL University thinking it will be a usual studying college life; coming every day to the university for lectures, but I was wrong about that.
The MBA Programme at MODUL is a very pleasant one that is designed for working professionals. Students follow intensive courses for four to five days only every month. Study at MODUL is built upon doing research and writing essays rather than taking exams only. The MBA students should submit assignments which are results of deep thinking and research rather than studying certain material for exams.
I find this system is great, however, it leaves me with problem, which it is a lot of spare time. I want to find a solution for this issue, but I don’t know how! It’s no one’s fault of course, this MBA program is wonderful for students who work and live in Vienna. However, in my case I am away from home, new to the country with very few friends I made at the university and above all as a student I am not allowed to work in EU because I have a student visa.
Some of the MBA students live and work in other countries and fly to Vienna to attend the courses while others live and work in Austria.
I have been contemplating taking the same step. I might be able to find a job in my country or any other Arabic country and attend only the course which lasts for four or five days per month. However, it is not an easy step to take. My employers might not allow me to work on this basis or might give me a prorata payment which would not be enough to cover the monthly traveling costs plus day to day living expenses.
Another difficulty for me is communicating with Austrian people who come across as very reserved compared to people back at home. I might be wrong about that, but in my Arab world, people are open and I feel I can communicate easily with them, without barriers, I find my people are more easy going. However, Austrian people are very polite and gentle.
But these things always happen, when it comes to differences among cultures.
There is a German saying with the meaning: different countries, different habits.
I still feel lucky to have made new friends at college, Arabs and non Arabs. Also the spare time I have allows me to discover Vienna and enjoy its beauty, reading and visiting its wonderful libraries, doing sports along the Danube river, and meeting friends.
So, in this way I want to find solutions for my temporary problems but I will never give up finding the solutions or my studies.
1 February 2010
Upon graduation from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Damascus in 2006, I had three options; carry on with my postgraduate studies, join the military service, or join the work force. I took the third option and started working but after five months I began to miss studying: it felt as though I was home sick. After high school I always dreamed of completing my study in Europe, but deep inside my heart I thought it was a far fetched dream.
After graduating from the university, as many young graduates do, I felt disorder, I didn’t know what to do. Then I chose to work but the sense of disorder continued. Between 2006 – 2009 I changed my work more than 3 times as I missed studying a lot. I read books and articles in order to quench my thirst for studying. One day I went to meet friends and I was introduced to Salah Baklah. He said that he was leaving next month to Vienna in order to continue his study there. I was curious and asked him how did he manage to go there as I know it is very expensive!Salah told me he had won a scholarship from the MBI Al Jaber Foundation, so I asked him how. Salah was very helpful and guided me through the process and where to get more information. I didn’t waste time, and immediately visited the website of MBI Foundation many times but there were no scholarships for postgraduate programmes, only for BBA students. What a disappointment it was. Then I decided to contact the Foundation and I wrote to Suhad Brown, the Scholarships Officer who was very helpful. She encouraged me not to give up and to keep visiting the website as they might advertise new schemes soon. After that I was so worried that I might fail to get a scholarship, but kept faith. In the beginning of 2009, I saw the advertisement of the MBI-MBA scholarships on the MBI Al Jaber Foundation website. I was so happy.
First I applied to Modul university and the university offered me a place. Then, after having the approval of Modul University, I went through the MBI Scholarship application process and submitted my full application. However, I still thought I wouldn’t get the scholarship. The second of June 2009 brought the happy news: I had won the scholarshippppppppppppppppppppppppppppp, I was over the moon. This was the greatest thing that has ever happened to me after graduation. I started to prepare my documents to apply for the visa. Meanwhile, my family celebrated, they were so proud of me. It is a big thing, it means a lot for them. But let's face it. The scholarship covers the tuition fees only. I can’t afford the rest of life's expenses; what to do?? It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I dreamt of all my life. My family were extremely supportive and helpful, my eldest brother decided to take out a loan to help with the cost of my studies and now my dream is coming true, step by step, with the help of good people like the MBI Al Jaber Foundation and my loving family.
I arrived in Vienna on the 6th of October, 2009. A new stage of my life had begun. Everything is different, another language, new culture too, and diverse people. Although I had done some courses in German in Syria and learned something about European culture, I still had a kind of culture shock upon arrival that lasted for more than 2 weeks. The next day after arrival in Vienna, it was sunny and beautiful, my friend Salah showed me the city. As I was wandering I had a mixture of feelings that are difficult to explain; it was a combination of emotions: shock, admiration, strangeness, and curiousity to know more ……….however my heart still was in Syria, family, friends, Damascus ……..
The very next day, on my way to Modul University something funny has happened to me. In Syria we usually wave for the public transportation like the mini bus, to stop for us any where in the street, this gives more flexibility for moving around and it is legal. I thought I can do the same in Vienna, I was wrong. All I got was people looking at me in disbelief, thinking what on earth is this young man doing !!!! Then I woke up after seeing the looks on people’s faces and remembered that I am not in Syria. I arrived to MU where I met with staff there, friendly and lovely as was the atmosphere. Actually I loved the university, then I thanked God and then Sheikh Al Jaber for this grant.
As I saw the timetable of the university, I saw that the study will begin after a week. With the new beginning for study, a new stage has begun.
Mounzer Al Shater,
MBA Public Governance Management at MODUL University Vienna
