Alumni stories: Mahanam Mithun

Name: Mahanam Mithun 

Nationality: Bangladesh

Graduation Year: 2017 (Cohort 5)

Mobility Path: USB Ceske Budejovice + internship in India

Current Job: Junior Professional officer (JPO) on Crisis Migration under Labor Migration Branch of International Labor Organization's HQ in Geneva

Mahanam's story: 

I was working for the British High Commission Dhaka, Bangladesh in their Migration section before starting my EMMIR journey. I was looking for the relevant courses relevant to migration/refugee studies and I choose EMMIR because it is the only of its kind that not only have consortium and staffs from European universities but also from African universities. It was also important for me to learn the migration/refugee situation in the south as well.

EMMIR provided me with core knowledge on forced migration and protection of refugees and other person of concerns. The practical knowledge and visits to refugee reception center in Norway and the one week study trip in Ravensbrück concentration camp shift my careers paths towards humanitarian responses. I did my third semester in Ceske Budejovice, and Selim Murad was one of the best teachers that I had in EMMIR journey. In the USB, he faces a lot of challenges from far-right parties who don't believe in a purpose for migration studies, but he does not give up. I really liked his spirit of never giving up and I firmly believe the famous quote "the triumph of evil depends on the good people to do noting". What I enjoyed most about EMMIR was the mobility and getting to know new people and their culture. EMMIR is an excellent opportunity for starting your career in humanitarian field.