Uzbek exchange student Joha Kamolov (24) already studied in Germany, but wanted to see more of Western Europe.

‘This is my fourth day in Nijmegen. I am here with my wife, she is also from Uzbekistan and is now at home to rest for a while. We are undoubtedly the first Uzbek couple at Radboud University, haha. We are both studying Business Administration in Nürnberg, Germany. We are coming to Radboud University now for six months, through the Erasmus exchange programme.

As non-EU residents, it took a lot of paperwork to arrange that, even though we have a Schengen visa. And suitable housing was also super difficult to find, something that was both large enough and affordable. Still, the hassle is all worth it, I think so now. The atmosphere in Nijmegen is vibrant, I am surprised how active the city is. Participating in the intro is really a must as an exchange student, through my mentor group I have already met many people.

The culture shock is not that bad, because we have been living in Germany for a while. We came to the Netherlands because we wanted to get to know another culture. I have the impression that students here live more freely and independently than in Uzbekistan. There, people are more tied to traditions. By the way, I don’t mean that one is better than the other – it’s just different, and that’s interesting to experience.’