-Karachi, Pakistan is my home city-a big city with a population of 15 million. That is three times the population of the whole of Norway. Still, I feel at home in Bergen, Anwar says. He is now in his final semester and will finish his Master’s degree this summer.
Before 2005 Anwar had never heard of the University of Bergen. He was working for different international organisations in Karachi for seven years after having finished his studies in 1998. He needed a break and attended different summer courses in Europe during this time. In Austria he met a professor from Bergen, who told him about the University of Bergen. Later he applied for the program in gender and development studies.
Chose Bergen
Before he came to Bergen he had to make a decision. He had the option of going to Monash University in Australia as well.
– I preferred Bergen mainly for two reasons. First, in terms of gender ranking Norway is one of the best countries in the world. And second, if you go to Australia you can explore Australia, New Zealand and some islands. In Norway you can travel around Europe. And I always had a feeling that I should go to Scandinavia. Even during my college life I thought about it. In Pakistan we have a very positive image of Scandinavia. It is clean, beautiful, and people are nice and generally rich.
Gender and Development Studies
Anwar attends a Master’s program in gender and development together with 9 other students from different developing countries in Asia and Africa. – The first year we had classes every day. Now we have classes once a week, and time to read articles and write our theses.
What is your thesis about?
- It is about gender and identity work among second-generation Pakistani youth in Norway. I am focusing on how they are integrating into Norwegian society, which are the good and the bad experiences, and how they are creating their own identity. Do they have a Pakistani identity or a Norwegian identity? Which one do they prefer? How are they blending those and what do they prefer to be called?
Anwar did not plan to address this topic from the beginning. He was supposed to do his fieldwork back home in Pakistan, but after his arrival here, he was asked various kinds of questions related to identity.
- A common question was: “So you are from Pakistan. After you have completed your studies, will you go back to Pakistan or will you stay in Norway?” I asked myself: “What is wrong with Pakistanis in Norway?” So I thought I should study this subject, convinced my professor, and did my fieldwork in Oslo. I have spent more than 60 days in Oslo during my 20-month stay in Norway.
Learning about Bergen and How to Cook
Anwar was prepared for his first meeting with Norway and Bergen. He visited web pages and wrote to his European friends. - They were telling me all positive tings except one thing: The living expenses are too high. But one friend gave me some good advice: “Don’t calculate prices or compare with the prices in your country. Just leave it or you will go crazy!”
The only challenge he faced was cooking. He had never cooked before in his life. When he got tired of eating junk food, he started to learn about cooking:
- I just tried myself. I had seen my family how they cooked, so I just tried. The first and second dishes were not good, but the third and fourth were good, and since then I have been a great cook and I am really proud of it. Afterwards I have taught three South Asian students how to cook, as well as possibly more than 10 European friends!
Experience the Natural Beauty
Norway is famous for its beautiful landscape, and Anwar has been travelling a lot during his stay, not only to Oslo for his fieldwork, but also to different cities and to the countryside:
- This exposure to the countryside and rural life was a totally different and unique experience. Urban life and rural life are different things, and the more you go to remote places, the more of the national beauty and Norwegian uniqueness you can explore.
International Student Union (ISU)
Before Anwar arrived in Bergen he was addicted to work, he says, describing himself as a workaholic. After arriving here he felt lazy, and started to get involved in the Tenants’ Union at the student residence where he lives. Now, he is also president of the International Student Union (ISU) in Bergen.
- It is a good thing. I am in contact with the students and the university administration. I am busy, but I have much more diversity in terms of learning. I am learning more about the Norwegian system now, and interact with many people about their issues and problems. You have to be careful when you talk to people from different places. You cannot expect the same kind of reaction from different people because they have different kinds of opinions and understandings about the same issues.
Clear Your Mindset!
After 20 months, Anwar is now an experienced Bergen student. He has developed many new friendships and learned a lot. His advice to new students arriving in Bergen is to clear their mindset:
- You should be open-minded in Bergen, open to learning about new cultures and life experiences. You know that Norway has high living expenses so you should not complain about it. People have their own stereotype images about Norwegian people in general, but you have to discover this for yourself. You should try to learn more from this Norwegian social welfare system, the educational system and the Norwegian society. Norway has a lot to offer, because in many senses it is a unique country in the world.
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