Humans of IHS is a mini-portrait series that features the people who make IHS a unique place. Many of the urban professionals with common roots at IHS, often describe it as a very welcoming, familiar space, where they not only acquired valuable knowledge for their career, but also formed solid ties and friendships with their peers. This is what drove us to create this mini-series: the wish to give others a glimpse of the amazing people that make IHS special.
Sizear is a former student from the Strategic Urban Planning & Policies Master track at IHS, Erasmus University. The knowledge he has gained from this specialisation will help him formulate a comprehensive policy to impact human lives significantly. “Upon returning home, Bangladesh, I envision employing my expertise to mitigate overwhelming urban public health challenges by involving an entity working with the government.”
When asked about the single urban issue he would solve, he mentions Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
“It is probably one of the few megacities without any plan or guideline to decentralise the city. Formulating a decentralised urban plan have a profound impact on people’s lives in many ways. Therefore, I would like to utilise my knowledge in urban decentralisation policy formulation that addresses many emerging problems in the city.”
His favourite IHS memories include discussions with classmates, sharing their cultures and favourite things with each other. “I have also explored many new cities and interacted with people from multi-diverse backgrounds to explore the culture and their experience, which helped me become a better communicator and human being.”
According to him, the one thing people need in the Netherlands is a bike. “I could not remember a single day I did not use my bicycle. Riding it was also a coping mechanism to deal with the academic pressure and helped me keep strong mentally and physically.”
Sizear enjoys being part of the IHS classroom as it represents 46 countries’ perspectives and its knowledge-generating approach.
“The course helped me to elevate my learnings and professional development to solve a complex societal problem, and I also like the hands-off approach of education that creates a real impact in life.”