His journey is one with many stories; after finishing high school in Turkey and a year of higher education in Cyprus, Nouri came to the Netherlands as an asylum seeker. ‘I have to admit, I didn’t expect the asylum process to take so long, but I’m still working on it now, two years later. It started in the Asylum Seekers’ Centre at Ter Apel after which I was offered a place in Wageningen by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). As I wanted to stay in touch with education, I followed some courses here at the university. That was quite an experience as the education system here is more focused on technology than I am used to.’
Still, Nouri is looking forward to his upcoming study. ‘After the selection procedures in the last week of May, I got the news two weeks ago that I have been accepted at the Hotel School in Amsterdam. Originally, I applied to start in September, but I first have to acquire an IELTS certificate demonstrating English proficiency. But I am happy with the extra time as it gives me a chance to improve my English and Dutch, and take some more courses. And of course, to work on my cooking skills.’
My dream is to open an Egyptian restaurant
Noura is seizing every opportunity he can get to realize his dream. ‘I would like to finish my Bachelor’s degree at the Hotel School within five years. After that, my dream is to open my own restaurant that offers not only warm hospitality but also a taste of Egyptian culture with its traditional dishes. One example of such a traditional dish is kushari, which consists of rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, tomato sauce and vinegar. That sounds like a lot of carbohydrates, but actually every day you eat kushari is a good day.’