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The Graduate Student Interview
For this edition of the QS World Grad School Tour newsletter, we travel to Istanbul and meet a student hoping to study internationally and who attended the 2006 event held in the city. Erdal Polat, a graduate of Koc University and now an employee of one of Turkey’s largest banks, tells us about why he wants to seek a graduate program internationally.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I graduated a couple of years ago with an economics degree from Koc University in Istanbul. It is a private university and very well-known in Turkey and other places. I was offered a job by a bank here in Istanbul just at the time that I graduated.
What and where do you want to study?
I want to stay in the same job area that I am in at the moment and so it is important that I study a related subject. I have looked at some specialized areas related to banking and economics including actuarial science, risk management and financial securities. I have some family in New York and also in Germany and so these would be my first choices, but I am very open to going to a country and a university where the program that is offered is exactly what I am looking for.
Why do you think studying abroad is important?
One of the best experiences of my life was having the opportunity to study with international exchange students while I was at Koc and this really has inspired me to look internationally for some study experience. Some of my friends have now also gone to work and study in other countries and this has shown me how useful another view is for a professional and personal life.
How do you choose a university to study at?
When working for a well-known bank here the most important thing is that the degree is a real one. It has to be recognized by the Ministry of Education and by my current or future employers, so I have to be sure that it is official. My main motivation is to discover that the university is recognized and has a good reputation. I chose this by asking the university who recognizes their degrees and whether I would be able to work in Turkey with their degree. The other thing I have now started to look at is how well a university is ranked because Turkish employers are also looking at this as an important way of seeing how good the university is.
How will you fund a graduate degree at an international university?
I will hope to get some money to study from my bank, as I want to stay working for them when I finish. I am also saving money so that I can pay for some of the fees. If I study in Germany there is a chance that it will be cheaper, so I will try and get a part-time job to pay for some of my living costs.
You attended the QS World Grad School Tour event in Istanbul last year. Did this help you in finding out about universities abroad for your graduate program?
This really inspired me to find out more about international universities and the programs that they offer. Although there were no German people there, I spoke to universities from other countries and got some good advice on the important areas to look at as a Turkish student. I was surprised to meet professors that were so friendly and willing to help me with all of my questions.
Did you find the QS World Grad School Tour event useful?
The QS World Grad School Tour was more than useful. I collected brochures and saw how professional people were in international universities and how willing they were to help me. Even though it was busy people had lots of time for my questions and helped me with other things I wanted to know about like jobs and visas. It was really excellent.
Study Abroad