AhmadKiron alumnus in Germany

I had already completed my bachelor’s degree in information technology in Syria, before I arrived in Germany in 2015. I was keen to continue my studies here but I encountered a number of obstacles – the biggest one being the time I had to wait for my asylum processing. During those eight months I wasn’t able to enrol in any language courses, so as soon as I was granted asylum, I enrolled in language and integration courses in Rostock, about a 2-hour bus ride away from the small village I was based in.

I was still interested in continuing my education and it was thanks to one of the school administrators that I heard of Kiron Open Higher Education. I thought to myself ‘this sounds like what I need’. When I looked up Kiron on the internet, I saw they had an agreement with the University of Rostock. This meant that I could study online with Kiron and collect credits which I could then use to transfer to the University of Rostock. I applied straight away.

I studied with Kiron for one semester, and I took MOOC courses in maths and computer science, before I applied for university. I also made use of Kiron’s mentoring programme, as well as attending many events and getting to know other people in my situation. This was so helpful to me, and I am grateful for all the support I received.

Now I am in the middle of completing my masters degree at the University of Rostock in information systems. I am really enjoying my studies there, and since I transferred into offline studies, I have still benefited from Kiron’s support as an alumnus. If I don’t understand something in class, I still use the MOOCs on Kiron’s platform to help me, which has been vital for me.

In the long run, I would like to continue to work in the field of business and informatics, and my wish is to return to Syria after the war, so that I can reconnect with my family and use my skills there. I often refer to my favourite quote from Shakespeare, “for willingness rids way,” which in other words means “joy shortens the way.” Kiron has been that source of joy for me.