Our department has a special scholarship agreement with IES (Institute for the International Education of Students) EU Center Freiburg. Every year, one student from Department of International Relations and the EU is selected to participate in a Summer School in Freiburg/Germany. The scholarship program is organized by Işık Gürleyen and Alexander Bürgin who teach also in this summer school program. Below is the interview with the first student who won this scholarship, Batuhan Deniz.
How did you hear about the scholarship program?
I heard it from the lecturer during the course. There are two criteria to be selected for the scholarship; first to be successful in Turkey-EU Relations course and second, a short list of high-performed students took an interview with the two professors.
When is the selection done?
It was in the mid-spring semester.
What have you done in the Summer School?
It was like a summer school in Turkey. I took two courses: one required course on Turkey and Balkans and one elective course on EU Foreign Policy. And I took 10 German Language courses voluntarily. And both courses are accepted by IEU and they are registered in my transcript as elective courses.
The summer school includes two field trips to Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina, one week each and I didn’t have to pay the flight tickets for these trips.
Bosnia trip was difficult for me. Everybody in Bosnia talks about war, their pains, the family members they lost in war. It was hard to listen to their stories.
What do you think about Freiburg?
I already missed Freiburg. This was the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited. It was like a bigger Küçük Park, like a student city. Environment was very good; there were nice green areas, forests.
How was the accommodation in Freiburg?
I was living a flat with 5 Germans, 3 girls and 2 boys; there were 2 separate bathrooms. I had my own room and internet connection. I was able to cook, the kitchen was usable.
How was the interaction with US students?
At first, I was afraid of being alone as the only Turkish students. But we were like a family; we still have contact with each other. And I taught some Turkish to them. We went out at nights. We also visited Strasbourg and Basel together.
How was your English? Was it difficult for you?
Not very much. But sometimes I couldn’t understand the slang they used. My English level is improved. My German is also better now.
What about German people?
Everyone in Turkey said German people were so cold but I saw that it’s not true. Everyone was friendly, smiling and helpful.
Do they have information about Turkey? What are their images of Turkey?
Everyone asked Kurdish and Armenian issues. If they didn’t know about Turkey, they couldn’t ask such questions. It was a bit tiring to answer their questions about Turkish politics.
Because of the Turkish population in Germany, I sometimes felt that they don’t like Turks but I have never had a bad experience with them.
What was the challenge for you about the program?
Maybe being far from my family but it was not a big issue. Bosnian experience was the biggest challenge.
What is the most beautiful side of your experience?
Sharing something with foreigners. We shared a life with them for 2 months.
Can you imagine going back to Freiburg or Germany?
Yes, sure. We have already planned a re-union after 10 years with my American friends. The program inspired me to have a MA degree in Germany and nowadays I’m doing researches about it.
What do you think about IES?
It’s the biggest provider of summer school programs. They’re located directly the city-center near University of Freiburg. They have very friendly staff.
At the end of the summer school program, they offered me to answer further American students’ questions about the program.
What do you recommend our further students to be ready for the program?
First of all, they should be ready for the bureaucratic details of travel. I mean they need to have passport and have enough time for visa application. They must be prepared for the questions about Turkish politics. I’m a friendly, easygoing person, it helped me to get used to the others. I was well-informed about Turkey’s political and economic situation, and Turkey-EU relations. I’m having double major in Economics, so it was easier for me to answer those questions.
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