From Dhaka to the Diepenring

Helping hands
‘Just after arriving, I was already surprised by how nice the people are here. Being only one metre fifty, I couldn’t lift my two large suitcases into the luggage rack in the train, but immediately there were several people who offered to help,’ Irona says. ‘My motto is “in a world where you can be anything, be kind”. And that is precisely what I keep seeing here, so much kindness and helpfulness.’

Not self-evident
The step to move to the Netherlands was a big one. Also for Irona’s parents. ‘They really support me in my choice to get a good degree and a career, but they’re also worried. About me and how I’m doing here, but also about the responses they get
from the people around them, and about my future. In my culture, women my age start looking for a husband. They don’t move abroad for two years to pursue a degree. Additionally, it is very difficult for educated women to have a career and a
family. Men in Bangladesh rarely take on household chores or family duties, so women are mostly on their own. I’m careful that this won’t happen to me, but it’s certainly not self-evident.’

Research into neurodegenerative diseases
‘As a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a teacher, just like my mother,’ Irona says. ‘And I still want to teach, but now at a university. During my Bachelor’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences at North South University, I became fascinated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. I’m going to start writing my minor thesis in February, which will be about Parkinson’s. In the future, I want to keep researching these types of diseases and I also want to teach about
them. And if I get the opportunity, I would like to work on the development of cures for these diseases. To achieve that, I need to complete this Master’s degree programme, and hopefully a PhD afterwards. Next year, I may need to find another institute to do research for my Master’s thesis, but I still need to discuss this with my lecturers.’

Dutch directness
And then the conversation flows towards something else Irona likes a lot: ‘Contacting lecturers is so easy here. My Dutch friends already taught me to be more direct and immediately ask questions. It’s really nice and saves me a lot of worrying and
insecurity. And if I think of another question after class, I can just send an email. That is very unusual in Bangladesh. You’d first have to call to get an appointment and then you can meet the lecturer in their office. It’s so much more complicated and
inaccessible.’

Longing for spring
New people, experiences, and opportunities; Irona is very happy with this next step in her life. But she says it is not all smooth sailing. ‘Sometimes, I adapt a bit too much and I don’t want to disappoint anyone, perhaps that’s a cultural thing? For example, I often go out with my friends in the weekends, even though sometimes I would prefer to stay home and read a bit. The cold and the lack of sunlight are weighing on me and make me tired. I can’t wait for spring to begin. I’ll feel even more at home then!’

Photo: Reyer Boxem