Alumni dreams #279

Habibe chose International Studies because she wanted to study in English and be part of an international environment. Coming from Germany, she was drawn to the idea of studying in another country and surrounding herself with people from different backgrounds. Although she admits that she did not look into the programme in great detail before applying, BAIS immediately sounded interesting to her. She chose the Middle East as her study region because it was not a region she had learned much about in school, which made her especially curious to explore it further.

For her bachelor’s thesis, Habibe brought together two fields that continue to shape her academic and professional interests: journalism and geopolitics. Her thesis, titled Al Jazeera English – Between Journalistic Freedom and Qatar’s Foreign Policy: A Comparative Media Analysis of Egypt’s and Bahrain’s Arab Spring, analysed how Al Jazeera English reported on specific events during the Arab Spring in Egypt and Bahrain. Since Al Jazeera is owned and funded by Qatar, Habibe wanted to investigate whether this ownership, together with Qatar’s geopolitical relations with both countries, influenced the way the network covered these events. The project allowed her to explore the relationship between media, power, and regional politics, and helped strengthen her interest in pursuing journalism with a geopolitical focus.

During her time at BA IS, Habibe was also actively involved in student life. In her second year, she joined the BASIS board as Internal Affairs Officer, working closely with several committees and contributing to event planning. This gave her the opportunity to help shape the student community from within and collaborate with others on activities that brought students together. She also became a HOP mentor in her second year, helping welcome new students and guiding them through the beginning of their university experience.

One of the things Habibe appreciated most about BA IS was its international environment. Being surrounded by students from all over the world created many opportunities for exchange, both inside and outside the classroom. She especially enjoyed the classes connected to her region, which deepened her interest in the Middle East and helped her better understand its politics, history, and societies. For Habibe, the programme’s broad structure was valuable because it allowed her to explore different fields before finding the direction that interested her most.

After graduating in 2025, Habibe immediately continued her studies by starting an Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Journalism, Media and Globalization. She spent the first year of the programme in Aarhus, Denmark, and is currently in Berlin for four months, where she is completing two internships: one at a research organization and one at a magazine focused on Middle East reporting. In September, she will begin the second year of her Master’s in London, where she will specialize in crisis and conflict journalism.

Habibe is especially excited about this specialization, as she hopes to work as a conflict or war journalist in the Middle East. Her regional focus during International Studies sparked her interest in the region, and she now wants to combine this with her passion for writing and journalism. Looking back, BA IS helped her discover a direction that brings together her curiosity about the Middle East, her interest in global politics, and her ambition to report on complex international issues.

To current and prospective BA IS students, Habibe’s advice is to embrace the broadness of the programme. While International Studies covers many different fields, she believes this can help students discover what truly interests them. She also encourages students to enjoy the international community and not stress too much about classes and readings.

We are cheering you on as you continue following your passion for journalism, Habibe!