„I want to make the lives of other students easier“ A Portray of Ahmad Iqbal

Ahmad Iqbal undertook a long journey to study at TU Braunschweig: more than 10,000 kilometres as the crow flies separate the Lion City and his hometown of Johor Bahru in Malaysia. But his journey was also long in a figurative sense: Iqbal overcame many hurdles before successfully completing his Bachelor’s degree this year. It is primarily because of his own experiences that he is committed to making it easier for other international students to start their studies and arrive in Germany.

A Difficult Beginning

Ahmad ‘Iggy’ Iqbal is deeply committed to supporting international students at TU Braunschweig. Picture credits: Simone Fürst/TU Braunschweig.

Ahmad Iqbal realised early on that he would study at TU Braunschweig after leaving school. A colleague of his father, a professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, recommended the renowned TU9 University to him. Iqbal decided to follow this recommendation and learnt the basics of the German language on his own in preparation. He embarked on his big journey straight after leaving school and obtained the German certificate for university entrance at a language school in Kassel.

In the 2018/19 winter semester, he enrolled on the mechanical engineering degree programme at TU Braunschweig. However, the anticipation of this new chapter in his life quickly evaporated, as the first few weeks were already a test of endurance: “The language barrier was enormous at the beginning,” reports Iqbal, who his friends only call Iggy. “I couldn’t express myself well and felt that I couldn’t really show my personality as a result.” It was almost impossible to make friends and he felt unwelcome in study groups. He also quickly realised that studying was not going to be a walk in the park. “I was an A student in Malaysia and failed four out of five exams in the first semester. Unfortunately, this continued in the following semesters and really dented my ego,” he recalls.

Over time, the setbacks in his studies and the lack of a personal network left ever deeper scars – especially of a psychological nature. Added to this was the coronavirus pandemic, which intensified the loneliness and monotony of the student’s everyday life. “I sat at the same table in my small room in the student union hall of residence from morning to night and basically saw nothing else. The distance to my family, who I hadn’t seen for three years at that point, also put a lot of strain on me,” says Iqbal looking back. In order to finance his studies in Germany, he also works a part-time job almost every day in the evenings – another major burden.

A New Start in a new Study Programme

In the interview, he talks about the hurdles he overcame during his bachelor’s degree and explains how international students today benefit from optimised support services. Picture credits: Simone Fürst/TU Braunschweig

It became clear in the seventh semester that this was all too much for the young student when he failed an exam in his third attempt and subsequently failed the re-examination as well. A subsequent heart attack was his body’s signal that things could not go on like this. A new start was needed. With the help of the Incoming Office in the International House, Iqbal changed his degree programme and began studying Business Information Systems at TU Braunschweig in the winter semester of 2022/23. He was determined to do everything better: “I got in touch with the course’s student group right at the start and got some tips – especially on how to organise your studies and which exams are best taken in which semester,” he explains. “I was also lucky this time and got to know great fellow students straight away, so I also had a personal network.” He also started working as a student assistant in IT at the International House in spring 2023 and made many other contacts through the job.

It soon became clear that the change of degree programme was the right decision. “Everything went better and I finally passed my exams,” reports Iqbal. In 2024, he travelled back home to Malaysia for the first time since starting his studies to visit friends and family. He now also lives in a shared flat with other students. “Three years ago, my life was almost over and I couldn’t have dreamed of the direction everything would take. I’m incredibly happy and grateful for the community I now have here in Braunschweig.”

He has now successfully submitted his Bachelor’s thesis and only has one last exam to take to officially graduate. He has been enrolled on the Master’s degree programme in Business Informatics since the winter semester.

Better Support Structures for International Students

Parallel to his studies, Iqbal has become increasingly involved with other international students in recent years. For example, he is a member of the departmental student group council and students’ representatives council for his degree programme and has also been a member of the student parliament and the General Students’ Committee of TU Braunschweig since March 2025. He also regularly supports events organised by International Student Support and the International Career Service so that other international students can benefit from his experience. “I want to do exactly what I wanted to do as a 19-year-old student when I arrived at TU Braunschweig: provide help where it is needed and make studying easier for others,” he emphasises. He sees the development at TU Braunschweig in the area of International Student Support as positive without exception: “When I started studying, there were no such programmes available. In recent years, excellent support structures have been set up in the International House to accompany international students right from the start. Thanks to these services, it is now much easier for international first-year students to make connections and become part of the lively community at TU Braunschweig.”

The Founding of a Malaysian Student Association

Thanks in part to Iqbal’s commitment, this community continues to grow: 68 Malaysian students are now studying at TU Braunschweig. In 2018, there were eight. In cooperation with the Malaysian embassy in Frankfurt, he voluntarily organises information events and city tours for prospective students from his home country. In summer 2025, he also founded the Malaysian Braunschweig Association, which aims to network Malaysian students in Germany beyond Braunschweig – with success: students from as far away as Aachen and Munich travelled to the first meetings. “Our community is open to interested people from all countries of origin. We celebrate Malaysian holidays just as much as Indian holidays. But above all, it’s about supporting each other. For example, we are currently setting up a buddy programme,” says Iqbal. He hopes that this will help to encourage more international students to take up official positions on student committees. “Getting involved in a buddy programme is the first step. I hope that international students take advantage of the numerous opportunities to become active at TU Braunschweig and help shape the community.”

In the coming year, he wants to focus more on his studies again. From past experiences, he knows how important it is to look after his health and not overload himself – which is why he is giving up some of his posts. After his Master’s degree, Shahir plans to stay in Germany. It remains to be seen whether he will go into academia or pursue a career in business. But one thing is certain for him: “I love Braunschweig and I’m looking forward to everything that’s coming!”