Chaled Nahar
Erasmus programme: Journalism 2004/5
Chaled came to the University of Sunderland for the first semester of the 2004/5 academic year. Originally from Cologne, Germany, he took part in the Erasmus exchange scheme which sees students swap countries to enhance their University experience.
After studying Journalism at the University of Sunderland, Chaled has gone on to become a Freelance Journalist, reporting on the German Bundesliga as well as covering economics and politics in the country.
He said: “I roughly planned to do things like I am now. First I was working for newspapers, but since this media is decreasing rapidly I found my way into internet journalism. The job has changed a lot, so I had to too”
Sport was a big reason behind Chaled coming to England and he remembers his time in the University football team fondly.
He added: “I wanted to play football here; it was the main thing besides studying. I went into the third football team and that was fantastic. We had 15/16 lads where 14 were English, one German and one Norwegian. You can predict who the jokes were on.”
Although he only spent six months in Sunderland he says he would jump at that chance should it come around again, and he organised last year a 10-year reunion visit for his fellow international students.
He said: “We went there and saw the rooms, our actual rooms from that time. This place wasn’t made of bricks to us it was made of people.”
Working in journalism is a dream come true for Chaled and it is reward for the time and effort he put in. He recommends students go out and get a taste of their chosen careers, so they can see what it’s really like before they commit.
“I always wrote non-league football articles for a small newspaper near Cologne and it was much more than a beginning - it really helped me to get into the business.”