Muhammad Nauroze – Master's student in East Asian Studies

Meet Muhammad Nauroze, a master’s student at the University of Turku and an UTU Ambassador for 2026-2027!

"Hi everyone!

My name is Muhammad Nauroze Ghaffar and I am from Pakistan. I am in my second year of the Master’s Degree Programme in East Asian Studies at the University of Turku.

I earned my Bachelors degree in History at Forman Christian College University in Lahore,Pakistan. I have always been interested in learning about different cultures and their histories such as those of East Asian countries like Japan, China and Korea.

This interest of mine led me to start my Master’s degree at the University of Turku.

My experience in Finland has been an amazing opportunity to learn new things and meet new people from different backgrounds and also at the same time experience a unique way of life.

Other than my studies I have also been involved in student activities and served as a student tutor, helping new students adjust to university life.

As a UTU Ambassador I aim to share my experiences of studying in Finland and help potential new students to learn more about the University of Turku and generally life in the city.

in my free time I love to explore new places , I like learning languages and I love to play videogames. I look forward to sharing my experiences here in Turku!"

How is your study experience at UTU and what services/aspects have influenced that the most?

My study experience at UTU has been amazing so far as I'm able to learn about East Asia and all the countries in it including their politics and how East Asia as a region itself is unique and im able to do this due to having teachers who are experts in their respective East Asian countries along with the interesting readings provided in each course

To whom would you recommend your programme to?

I would recommend my programme to anyone who is curious and passionate about East Asia, its culture and society . I would tell someone to keep an open mind and just jump in the programme and let the magic take effect.

What is your background and how did you end up choosing your programme?

I am a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree holder in History. I was always interested in History but was always looking for a programme that would allow me to explore East Asia more in depth. I must confess that this was not my first option I had an LSE and the University of Oslo for History degrees at a master's level. However, I ended up choosing the Master's of East Asian Studies Degree Programme because it offered an in depth exploreation of the politics, history and languages of East Asian countries which was a unique feature of the programme which the other two options did not offer at the time. Eventually i also got awarded a 100% scholarship here at the University of Turku so after that I choose the University of Turku to pursue master's and have never looked back.

What have you found special in the study experience at UTU?

What I have found special about the study experience at UTU is the pace of studying itself. I really enjoyed how I am able to plan out my own degree and study at my own pace that is something which is special for me in the study experience at UTU. Furthermore, i also like the ability to be able to book rooms for study sessions and interviews in the buildings of the University. I also like that we have access to Konttori business section that allows us to explore unique entrepreneurial student let opportunities by student led initiatives like Boost.

What are your future career plans?

It is too soon to say what the future may hold. However, I aim to eventually be able to start a startup business in Finland and create jobs to support the Finnish economy and its people. I would like to find a problem or an opportunity to run a business in Finland. I do not know how i will do it or when I will do it but what i do know is that I want to one day own a business and contribute to the Finnish economy. Furthermore, I would also like to either pursue a PhD in Finland preferably in History or East Asian Studies or even try to apply for multinational organizations such as the UN or MNC's like Nokia, P&G or any other reputable organization. I want to give back to Finland in some way.

How do you balance your studies during your free time?

Unfortunately, I am still trying to figure that part out. I tend to over focus on my studies. In the free time I do have I walk around the city and try to play video games. I also enjoy exploring the city such as going to museums visiting nearby cities such as Naantali and the archipelago areas. I also enjoy trying out new cuisines around the city whenever I get the chance.