"Why do I study in Iran?"
By Nadya, Guest Contributor
Nadya is a Bulgarian M.A. candidate at the University of Tehran's Iranian Studies program for foreigners. She is will one of handful of students who will have graduated from this program when she defends her thesis this month. More information about the program at the end.
This is a question everyone asks from me. The answer for me is pretty simple. When I was back in Bulgaria, I studied Iranian studies in the university, so coming here and applying for a Master on Iranian studies was an obvious and, as it turned out, the right choice to make.
Being here and spending time in Iran helped a lot not only for my education but also for me, getting stronger and more independent person. As we all know, Iran is not where a person, who grew up in a society way different from the one in Iran, can live easily.
Did I have problems staying in Iran? Did I want to leave the country constantly? For these two years that I have been here, I was complaining, I was upset and angry with Iran. But did I regret staying here? Definitely not. I realized that Iran is a country where you can make many friends, friends who come from all over the world and who become like your real family.
For me Iran is not like any other country. All of my friends who already left the country, still want to come back. I guess when I leave Iran, I would want to come back here. I would miss my life in Iran, my friends and, of course, I would miss the fact when you go out, you don't know where you are going to end up in the end of the day."
About the program: This M.A. program in Iranian Studies at Iran's premiere academic institution, University of Tehran, is at the world studies college in Amir Abad and in it [only] non-Iranian citizens can pursue a multi-disciplinary understanding of modern Iran with classes being taught in both English and Farsi.
The next school year will begin in September 2015. The University is now receiving applications and the deadline to submit is February 28, 2015
For more information see http://www.ut.ac.ir/en/contents/Admission/Admission-Iranian-Studies/IranianStudiesInEnglish/In.English.html.
Photos: University of Tehran