BY MAHİR HASSAN MİAN (ECON/III)
Name: Haider Raheem
Department: ME
Country of Origin: Pakistan
What were your first impressions about Türkiye?
It was mesmerizing. I took a cab from the airport with two of my now best friends who were strangers then, Shaham and Huzaifa. I still remember sticking my face to the taxi window, in awe, looking at all those skyscrapers on Eskişehir Yolu and at Diyanet, I was like “Is this a blue mosque?”
What do you like best about Bilkent and Türkiye?
The best thing about Bilkent is that it pushes you to excel and gives you a lot of opportunities to do so. Türkiye is my second home now. It is very welcoming. It is clean, developed and has lots of opportunities.
Are there any similarities between Türkiye and your home country?
The culture and values are similar, with lots of brotherhood and empathy for one other.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Türkiye?
I will miss my old days with my friends in Dorm 72.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
The whole campus is my favorite, be it my lab, my dorm, Mayfest area, Bilka Hill or the Sports Halls.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and why?
Acılı Lahmacun because it has a lot of spices and tastes similar to Pakistani cuisine.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
I want to see myself either building a startup or working in a managerial position in a big robotics company.
What’s one thing you learned from Turkish culture?
Celebrating sports, especially football.
What places have you visited in Türkiye, and which one is your favorite?
I have visited a lot of places like Antalya, İzmir, Bodrum, Fethiye, Cappadocia and İstanbul, but my favorite is Fethiye. It’s very close to nature, and I had lots of fun there.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent/in Türkiye?
“You look Turkish!”
“Why haven’t you learned Turkish when you have been in Türkiye for over six years?”
Describe yourself in three words.
Positive, optimistic, jack-of-all-trades.
How is the studying experience at Bilkent?
During my time at the EE department as an undergrad, I struggled a bit in my first two years but then I started enjoying what I was studying, so it got easier. One amazing thing is that the undergraduate research opportunities at Bilkent University are amazing. I did my undergrad research at UMRAM and at the Miniature Robotics Lab. That made me realize where I could apply the knowledge I learned during the lectures. My master’s at the ME department has been great. Bilkent has given me all the skills that I currently have and has truly made me a better person.