Sharmin_Shamim

On 27 November 2024, I stood in front of the Schloss building, room 1.033 of FAU, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Our appointment with the President of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger, was scheduled for 2:30 PM. I was joined by two other PWA scholarship recipients (Ms. Mia Turbic and Alejandro Gomez Lopez) for this special occasion.  At the scheduled time, we stepped inside and were warmly introduced to the President by our Scholarship Coordinator, Ms. Jennifer. She had told us earlier that this meeting was an opportunity to meet the President, learn about his work, and ask questions about our academic journeys. Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious; what if he asked me something academic and I froze? But all that faded the moment he greeted us with the same charismatic smile and approachable demeanor we’d seen during the FAU Awards Night. While we didn’t get to interact much with him then, meeting him in pers...

To the international student who has just arrived in Germany in the early winter days, I know how your past few days might have been. If you've landed in a city with a strong international student community (especially Bangladeshi) like Berlin, Frankfurt, or Hamburg - kudos to you! You might have support in all aspects of life. But if you’ve found yourself in a place where your home country’s community is not as active, please pay special attention to taking care of yourself; especially your mental health .  And please, don’t fall into the trap of thinking, “Oh, I’m a strong, independent woman. Nothing’s wrong. I can handle this.” Of course, you can handle everything,  but allow yourself to embrace the vulnerability of being in a new place. There’s a certain beauty in this phase; please don’t let it slip away unnoticed.  Even after getting accepted into the long cherished Human Rights Master's Programme, securing a wonderful scholarship, m y first few days were filled w...

It was sometime in the middle of June 2024 when I received an email from our MA Human Rights Programme Coordinator, Ms. Ines, stating that there was a scholarship opportunity available for students in our program. FAU President’s Welcome Award. The email also included a link to the scholarship website.   Little did I know then that exactly seven months later, my profile would be featured on that same website as a scholarship recipient.  With a leap of faith and my fingers crossed, I submitted my application to the President’s Welcome Award (PWA) team. I vividly remember July 8, 2024—a day that started as a typically busy day at work. At 11:37 AM, I received an email notification, but I couldn’t check it right away.  For days leading up to that moment, I had been thinking about the potential outcome of my scholarship application. That evening, after leaving work and settling in at home, I finally opened my email. The first email was from the PWA team.  For a b...

With an immense amount of homesickness, mixed emotions, and gratitude, my first 15 days in Germany passed by, and the time finally came for the official programme opening. It marked the beginning of a well-planned, long-cherished journey: a Master’s in Human Rights at one of the world’s most renowned and prestigious institutions, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).   Nürnberg, the city where I would spend the next two years, is deeply intertwined with the history of human rights. Its significance lies in both its tragic past and its transformation. It is the city of the infamous Nürnberg Trials, where, in the aftermath of World War II, the principles of international human rights and justice were redefined. Today, Nürnberg stands as a symbol of hope, resilience, and progress in human rights. It serves as the perfect backdrop for studying the subject that aims to challenge injustice and protect human dignity.    Why Friedrich-Alexander Universi...

As I boarded the train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg, I knew it was going to be a late-night arrival. I’d probably reach there by midnight. Sure enough, I arrived at Nuremberg Central Station at 2:30 AM on October 1, 2024. Realizing it wasn’t the best idea to look for a hotel at that hour, I decided to wait it out at the station. After all, it was just a matter of a few hours—I could check in at my residence at 8:00 AM. Now that I’ve visited Nuremberg Station several times, I know it pretty well, but that night of 01st of October 2024 was completely different. At first, I wandered around, looking for a corner to sit in. I noticed a few elderly people quietly sitting on the first floor of the station, so I assumed it would be safe to stay near them. I headed upstairs and found a spot. The station was eerily quiet, with just a handful of people moving about. As I sat there, after a while I realized the “quiet” didn’t mean calm. Some of the people sleeping nearby weren’t just tired—t...

And before you can even realize it, you’ll find yourself at Frankfurt Airport—lost, looking for that elusive train station that’s supposed to take you to Nuremberg. On October 1, 2024, in the early morning, I arrived at Frankfurt Airport with all my important belongings packed into two suitcases weighing a total of 40 kg. After clearing immigration, it was time to find the train station platform. Good news: there are plenty of platforms! Bad news: if you’re here for the first time, like me, don’t expect to get it right the first time. The immigration line was unexpectedly long. After finally crossing immigration, I found myself lost for a while, trying to get directions to the station. I realized that I was going to miss my connecting train to Nuremberg, but I still wanted to give my very best to catch that train. I took some wrong directions from confident-looking information providers, got myself onto the wrong bus, took a tour of the airport, and ended up on the other side of th...