Name: Hassan Imran Faiz
Department: Management
Country of Origin: Pakistan
What do you like best about Turkey?
The freedom of self-expression.
Are there any similarities between Turkey and your home country?
Both countries practice Islam as the primary religion. This being the case, many similarities exist with regard to cultural practices.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Turkey?
Bilkent: the gorgeous campus. Turkey: the amicable and open-minded culture.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
The seventh floor of Dorm 81/82. You can witness the most surreal of sunsets from there.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and/or favorite part of Turkish culture?
Food: hands down, it has to be yoğurtlu et tantuni with şalgam suyu. The culture: Turkish people and their staunch nationalism. They love their country more than anything.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Back home in Pakistan, making a real difference for my country and its people.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve handled in Turkey?
The language barrier has been really difficult to overcome, especially when it comes to socializing with fellow students who are Turkish.
What places have you visited in Turkey, and which one is your favorite?
So far, only Eskişehir and İstanbul. However, I can safely say that İstanbul is one of the most captivating cities in the whole world. It possesses a unique charm that a person experiences only when they’re in the city itself.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Not really. I like to make my talents apparent. There’s no use in keeping something a secret, especially if it’s a talent.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently about Bilkent/Turkey?
The comment that the student body of Bilkent is the quintessential example of affluent people who are used to getting their own way. I neither agree nor disagree.