25/01/2022
Meet our students!
‼We start introducing some of our Sociology MA students.
‼Here you can read the interview with Manisakhone from Laos, Southeast Asia
Thanks for Hamaker for doing the interview!
Why did you start studying sociology and how do you wish to profit from your studies in the future?
I happened to work with NGO for almost four years and I like to work with people in community, in society because my aim of working is task working about the youth I. the information to the youth of people in my community in my hometown. I’ve been working on research with UNESCO, and I have doubted all the time how people will fix the problem, for instance a drug user. I’m thinking of what the breakout is, what is the problem and that’s what I want to find out. That’s why I chose the sociology. And when I’ll go home, I’ll be working with NGO and it’s going to be useful.
Do you have a role model in this field?
My advisor, she taught about the gender inequality, that’s why I want to empower women in my hometown.
What are the social issues that interest you the most and why?
As I mentioned the empowering women, because in our hometown the men are the leader, we need to follow them, we can see we can tell but we’re still have a voice less. Therefore, I need to empower the women more and more, so that they can have braver, more talk, more shared opinion. This is important because we have a history in our home but nowadays, we need to empower women. They need to know that they have values, and that they can move to other countries.
Why do you think that global social change is an important issue to study?
Society has changed a lot. We need to learn a lot all the time. We need to find out what is the problem. In society we learn from each other. We cannot make sure that everything will be the same, but everything can be shared. For example, the Covid-19 in my hometown we never thought that we will have covid but still we have a lot of percent that we need to adapt the situation and we learn how to survive our lives.
Are you taking part in any specific research at the moment and if so, what?
Yes, I do research about women and motivation. How the number of women had increased to go abroad to study. Because in my hometown the problem is that there a low education nowadays women need to go out and get more knowledge and learn about other culture, go abroad, and get education.
How did you decide that you would come to Hungary to study and why did you choose Corvinus?
In 2020 Covid situation started, and I’m still afraid a little bit and my parents also because this situation …. I choose Hungary because I wanted to learn the culture, I need to improve my writing economics it’s really useful when I go to NGO, and I can do reports and can-do research about problems and evolution. I did research on the internet about Corvinus, and it is in the city, and it was easy to meet my friends around, even from the same culture, and when I got homesick, we could share what was happening in our social. But the main reason was that it is in the city and it’s easy to go anywhere. I also heard that the professors are good.
Does your experience here echo your previous expectations?
I have learnt quite a lot and I have improved my academic writing.
How did your family, friends react to your decision?
The first question was ’Do you really want to go study?’. There was Covid-19, and everything was competitive like booking a flight. I am the youngest in our family, and we have quite a big family, also I’m the first one to go abroad. I explained to my parents and my friends that ’Okay I want to learn new things and what is happening, and I want to bring the lesson to go back to my hometown. I want to enjoy my own life.’ My parents accept my decisions, and they let me have my own decisions, because I explained to them. But first they said ’No, no, no. There’s Covid-19, and you’re going to get sick.’ But they trusted me.
Are you sometimes homesick and if so, how do you tackle it?
Yes, I am homesick, but I’m lucky to stay with my friends in a flat. I regularly contact with my parents, if I can’t I write my story in my book, what happened to me. I try to make a routine and exercise.
Was there anything that caused you a cultural shock in Hungary?
Normally my hometown is a poor country as well, but the homeless on the street in my town they drink alcohol, and I don’t know how to communicate with them.
Have you made friends at the department?
Yes, I have. In my group people are nice. We have two Hungarian people, they organize events. We shared the Covid situation as well. We help each in the homework and listen to each other’s questions.
What do you do to unwind?
Normally I read some books, or I do some exercises. Maybe I go out, meet some of my friends.
Is Budapest night life awesome?
Yes, is it, but somehow, I don’t go out at night so much. But yes, it is quite good and peaceful. It’s easy going comparing to my hometown. I also feel safe here.
