Rano Kodirova is a Level 6 student studying Economics with Finance and she shares her inspiring academic journey and exchange experience in Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.

Rano is a university scholarship holder and an award-winning Student of the Year 2024 in recognition of her outstanding engagement and dedication. Beyond academics, Rano has been actively involved in university life. She completed an internship at Ask.WIUT, the university’s internal student support centre, and regularly volunteers at major international and university events, including the FIFA Futsal World Cup, ComicCon, Digital Uzbekistan, and WIUT Parental Sessions. She also served as the Finance Manager of the ‘Zakovat’ Club during the 2024–2025 academic year, gaining valuable leadership and organisational experience.

Rano took part in the student exchange programme between WIUT and Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), one of Germany’s top-ranked universities. The exchange began after she completed Level 5 and lasted for one semester, from April 1 to September 30. Motivated by the opportunity to study abroad at a leading institution and experience life in a new country, Rano applied for the exchange programme and received strong support throughout the process.

Students were free to explore courses beyond their main discipline. Rano studied International Economics and Applied Time Series Economics, as well as an interdisciplinary module from the Psychology department titled Infinity and Evolution of Intelligence. She also completed a German Language course, provided free of charge to exchange students, and successfully earned an A1-level German language certificate.

I loved the freedom students had whether to attend classes regularly or just do self-study and come to the one and only end-of-semester exam. Also, the German classroom culture, how students showed respect to the professor, was another thing I liked. I appreciated the trust and fairness in German culture. I saw how strongly Germans trust each other by their public transportation system, where there are no regular ticket-checkings like in other countries. An exchange programme is a unique opportunity to grow academically and personally. New countries, new cultures, and new perspectives push you beyond your comfort zone. Take the risk and the memories and experience will stay with you forever.

Reflecting on the experience, Rano notes that the most challenging period was before the programme began. ‘Looking back, the biggest challenge was prior to the programme’s start. At first, everything seemed confusing and overwhelming, as I had almost a month to prepare all the required documentation. Everything felt all over the place within a little period of time. However, with the financial and emotional support of my family and friends, what initially looked impossible became achievable.’

The exchange experience has strongly influenced Rano’s future plans. ‘After my exchange experience, I will certainly be back to Germany for my further studies, especially, to Berlin. To become fluent in German language has become another one of my future goals.’