An academic dream come true

by Parwiz Mosamim, ETH4D visiting researcher, 15 July 2021
Group of students in front of a lake, holding the afghan flag
Afghan Students Association Switzerland members –exploring Switzerland (photo credit: ASAS)

Having grown up in a war-torn country, I am passionate about doing research that brings global change. With ETH4D, ETH Zurich became a key part of my journey

If you grew up in a war-torn country (or experienced some other form of adversity), maybe you can relate.

My name is Parwiz Mosamim, and I was born on March 21st, 1994 in Herat, Afghanistan. I spent almost 23 years in a country that has experienced violent conflict for the last 40 years. The tough days of my life in Afghanistan encouraged me to follow my dreams by putting education first.

There’s nothing quite like seeing hard work pay off. After a bachelor's in Journalism from Herat University in Afghanistan, I did my master's in Public Administration at University Padjadjaran in Indonesia through the KNB scholarship. I am about to embark on my Ph.D., and will do so with more confidence and a wider horizon thanks to a stint at a top university in Switzerland.
Author standing in front of ETH holding his student card
First days at ETH Zurich – Received my ETH Card (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
Author in the snow in front of an ETH Zurich sign
Heavy snow at Hönggerberg campus (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)

My stay at ETH Zurich – a dream come true

While pursuing my master's degree in Indonesia, I had the chance to apply for the “ETH4D Visiting Student Grant” and was selected. Visiting Switzerland was one of my life’s dreams. Thanks to the ETH4D program, not only did this dream come true, but I was even able to combine this popular tourist destination with my educational journey.

Getting familiar with research life in an internationally high–ranked academic space stretched me and helped improve my research skills. At ETH, I joined the “Spatial Development and Urban Policy” research group under the supervision of Prof. David Kaufmann, where I had the chance to learn more about research techniques in the social sciences. Since my research focused on Afghan Women’s Representation in the Civil Service in the Post-Taliban, I concentrated on representative bureaucracy, representation, analysing policies, and a qualitative approach. It was a great honour to be part of this research group.

Switzerland and Zurich City through my eyes

My visit was in winter (January – April 2021); I was so excited to see heavy snow and go skiing in the Alps. Zurich was as beautiful and clean as I had expected. The atmosphere at Lake Zürich made it a favourite spot, with all the people coming there for rejuvenation. Despite COVID-19 limiting travel and gatherings, I made some international and Afghan friends who showed me famous places in Zurich including museums, libraries, sports places and of course the best eateries.

I also enjoyed visiting other parts of Switzerland such as Geneva, Lugano, Biasca, Locarno, and Bellinzona. I do hope to visit this great country and see my friends here again.
Gallery of pictures from Zurich, Biasca and Bellinzona
Some pictures from Zurich, Biasca & Bellinzona (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
Lago Maggiore
Lake Maggiore (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
Lake Lugano
Lake Lugano (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
Two friends sitting in the snow looking at the alps
At the top of the Alps – enjoying the view (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
Author pointing at the seagulls at the border of the lake
Lake Zurich – It was always great meeting the birds there (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
View of lakes in Switzerland
One of the amazing views of Switzerland (photo credit: ASAS)
Salad, meat on rice, afghan dish, Käsefondue
Three kinds of food (Afghani, Turkish & Swiss) (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
Group of people in a flat
Flatmates – I lived with them almost four months (kind people) (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)
A great view from Biasca
A great view from Biasca (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim)

Afghan Students Association Switzerland – ASAS

One of the most memorable things was getting to know Afghan students in Switzerland, who have organized a great community, ASAS, which includes social work. Through this community, I took part in some cultural programs such as Celebrating Nowruz (New Year in Persian Countries) and exploring parts of Switzerland. I wish this association all the best.
Group of people having a picnic
Picnic time with ASAS members – with a great backdrop (photo credit: ASAS)

In Conclusion

I would like to thank everyone who has made memories with me in Zurich and at ETH. During my stay, I learned a lot of things, some of which I would like to highlight here:
I found ETH to be not only a world class academic space where future leaders are made, but also a place that global talents experience as their second home.
ETH4D members acted as though they had known me for years, and their support demonstrates the hospitality and kindness of people at ETH.
Zoom Meeting
My final presentation at SPUR – Because of corona restrictions, it could not happen in person (photo credit: Parwiz Mosamim/Zoom)
At the SPUR research group, I learned how to collaborate on research, and that teamwork, mutual respect, supportiveness and friendship among all the members are key factors to success on a research topic.
And finally, ETH has shaped my educational journey to do research with the aim of bringing change globally.

About the author

Parwiz Mosamim is an ETH for Development (ETH4D) visiting researcher from Padjadjaran University (Unpad) in Indonesia, where he completed his Master’s degree in the field of Public Administration. At ETH Zurich, he worked with Prof. David Kaufmann’s research group on the topic of “Representative Bureaucracy as Equal Opportunities: Afghan Women’s Representation in Civil Service in the Post–Taliban”, to understand the main barriers confronting Afghan women’s more active representation in government agencies – focusing on policy. Parwiz Mosamim is also a local coordinator at Students for Liberty Organization in South Asia, and an alumnus and researcher at United Nations Alliance of Civilizations & UNESCO MGIEP.

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