Junaid Manzoor is a Student Ambassador from India and a student of Civil Engineering at the University of Bologna.
Belonging to the Vale of Kashmir, nested in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, I wonder at the course of my destiny, sometimes it all feels like a dream. Far from the cacophony of the city, a small village is what hosts my home in Kashmir, a place which is nested in apple gardens. My family always wanted me to be an educated person and encouraged me to study as much as I can.
My journey as a university student began when I went for my bachelor's in civil engineering to a university called Vellore Institute of Technology in the South of India. It was here that experienced exposure to life, and I aspired to continue my higher studies at a prestigious university abroad. During the final semester of my bachelor's degree I joined a WhatsApp named ‘opportunities corner’ and I got to know about the University of Bologna. While searching about this University on the internet, I came to know about its rich history. This sparked my interest in applying for a degree program here. I also want to mention that during my bachelor's degree I met Marcello Schellini, a Professor of Italian Origin. We established a good relationship and exchanged our ideas regarding photography, art, culture, poetry, and more. During one of these discussions, he told me that his great grandfather was an alumnus of the University of Bologna. I don't know why, but this statement captivated my interest in the University. Maybe because coming from a small village in Kashmir, it made me elated that someone’s great grandfather could be formally educated in a university which I later learnt was a thousand years old.
This is when I truly embarked on my journey to enrol in the prestigious "Alma Mater, Università di Bologna," as they call it in Italian. I found that the Master’s Degree which was to be conducted in English language in civil engineering was of my interest and hence I chose it. While looking at the list of Professors in the Civil Engineering Departement and their achievements, I felt that Bologna was the perfect place for me. My expectations turned into reality once I arrived in Bologna and started my classes.
Going to a different country to study is not an easy thing to do. There are a lot of legal processes that one must go through, such as legalising preceding degree certificates, prepare Visa documents and requirements to obtain the regional scholarship (the ER.GO scholarship in this case).
Bologna is a medieval city that holds in its fold a rich cultural legacy. Its streets, walls, old buildings tell a tale. Bologna speaks to you, if you are ready to listen. Seeing this timeless city for the first time took my breath away. As I came out of the railway station, the first view of pine trees amazed me, as it felt like my home, Kashmir.
Here are a few lines of a poem I wrote in 2022:
The first few anxious moments went past quickly as I learnt about buying bus tickets from the tabaccheria and, subsequently, how to read the bus maps at the bus stop. In the following days, I had to submit my documents at the segreteria and they also scheduled an appointment for me with CGIL, an organisation that helped me fill the forms required for the residence permit application. This helped me to apply for my residence permit. Students can easily handle the process themselves by getting a residence permit kit from any post office and by filling the forms with someone’s help. It's evident that coming to a new culture makes a person anxious and, it’s no wonder I felt the same. While walking through the alleys and the porticoes of Bologna, I discovered restaurants of my interest, study rooms, libraries and most importantly, the famous Scuderia.
Finding an accommodation can be challenging, and this is true for nearly every European city, including Bologna. I was lucky enough to get an accommodation at an ER.GO residence, but a lot of my friends had to put in a lot of effort to find one. For an international student, it is better to contact already enrolled students from their country and count on their help. Walking through the city, I could see people sitting by coffee shops, talking for hours. A sight like this is truly soothing as it reflects the very humanist nature of people and, to some extent, a sense of selflessness.
Bologna is a multicultural city that welcomes people and students of all races and religions. Here, I have met people of different nationalities, with whom I have developed long-lasting friendships. Among these friends many have encouraged me to study hard and kept me motivated during tough times. Most of the city is walkable, and many students travel on foot to their classrooms. The university also offers subsidized bus passes to many students which greatly helps to reach the campus from the residences and helps them to travel within the city. Buses go to every nook and corner of the city. The city is simply designed for students.
Living in Italy at some point necessitates a person to learn and speak Italian. It is essential to interact with Italians, and getting to know about their culture, etc. This applies to any country that hasn't been colonised and it's quite fair for a nation to preserve its language and encourages its propagation among its citizens. So, it's always better to learn some Italian, so that you can truly enjoy your time in Bologna and Italy in general. Learning Italian has not been so easy for me as I was mostly involved in my studies and couldn't get to start a language course properly, but I am hopeful to speak this wonderful language anytime soon. The university also offers certain language courses in this regard.
In my free time I usually visit the city centre with my friends, walk around the streets, sit for a coffee and finally reach Piazza Maggiore, which is the largest square in Bologna. When I am in my room, I like to think about my experiences and write poetry. There can be times of great difficulty for an international student regardless of their place of study. At times while living away from family one might feel lonely and depressed. It is at this time that one must be grateful, hopeful and patient. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to study at the University of Bologna and experience its rich culture and legacy.
Here I have written some of the best poems of my life, thanks to the experiences I’ve lived. I have grown through these experiences to become a better person. A person who now knows how to cook a variety of foods and more than that how to prepare and share food with friends from different nations and cultures. I feel I am changed person, a man who sees others with more compassion and empathy. I am sure my peers will be in love and find love in Bologna as I have.
