Beyond clogs and canals: A Dutch exchange

As Mohammed Waseem KHAN SO Mohamed Ikbal has never ventured out of Asia, embarking on a global exchange programme at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to experience life abroad.    

The Year 3 Data Science and Analytics student hopes to kickstart his career in technology in the future by working in Europe for a few years to explore its cultural diversity before deciding on his eventual career pathway.

His global exchange at TU/e is the first step in his journey of discovery.  

The experience has opened his eyes in more ways than one. For instance, in adapting to a different academic environment, he discovered that the TU/e academic year is segmented into (shorter) quartiles instead of semesters. While reading three modules in two months, twice, was a challenge, he says, “I managed to cope with the support of good teachers and my peers.”

Waseem did not join any student organisations at TU/e, but this did not deter him from getting to know many exchangers from different parts of the world as they celebrated Eindhoven carnivals and went on day trips to nearby cities like Maastricht and Aachen together.

An avid music lover, Waseem took every opportunity to soak in the rich musical offerings in Europe with like-minded people from vastly different backgrounds. From Tomorrowland in the France Alps, to Awakenings in Amsterdam, the Berghain and Boiler Room in Berlin and Graspop Metal meets in Belgium, these music events were “some of my favourite takeaways from exchange”, he says.   

Waseem says, “I now understand how little I know…I have barely scratched the tip of the iceberg in Netherlands and Europe, be it the more liberal societal norms, diverse cuisines, historical sights or empty lands that stretch further than the eye can wander.”

Watch as Waseem brings you around selected spots at Eindhoven University of Technology!