Alumnus Mertcan chose Tilburg over the United States
Where are our international alumni now? Have they stayed, have they gone home, or have they landed somewhere else in the world? What have their studies brought them? Do they still carry Tilburg University with them? What path has former student Mertcan Akyürek traveled after he graduated from Tilburg University?
The confidence that I can adapt to different circumstances and go with the flow
The Netherlands
Master’s degree in Economics
When I think of Tilburg University…
Mertcan’s initial plan after obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering in Turkey was to move to the United States: “I was accepted into a program in the US at a renowned university with a scholarship. But it would only start a year after my graduation, so that left me with a gap year, and I wanted to do something meaningful in that year: visit a country that I had never been to, discover new things, meet new people, and experience a completely new culture. I knew about the Netherlands from TV and stories from others. Back in Turkey, we watch a lot of soccer and there is always this thing between Turkey and the Netherlands.”
When looking at the different Dutch universities, the Master’s program in Economics at Tilburg University stood out to Mertcan because of its flexible program: “You can specialize in a track based on your own interests. That appealed to me enormously. What I also liked is that the thesis writing process is intensively supervised.”
At the time, it was quite a tough decision to make and I made it by weighing the pros and cons of moving to the United States. In the end, I chose to stay here.
So Mertcan moved to Tilburg and started his Master’s with a scholarship from the university fund. “The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of my time at Tilburg University is how beautiful the campus was: everything was nicely structured and green. I enjoyed the nice walks on the campus during class breaks. The second thing I think of is how friendly everyone I interacted with was. Teachers, Student Services, Library, IT: everyone was very polite and kind. I value that enormously and it quickly made me feel at home. The third thing that comes to mind is TOP Week.” Mertcan smiles. “It was a great way for international students like me to meet their classmates. It paves the way for friendships that last throughout college. I found that first week incredibly valuable.”
After I graduated from Tilburg…
After obtaining his Master’s degree, Mertcan decided not to go to America. “At the time, it was quite a tough decision to make and I made it by weighing the pros and cons of moving to the United States. In the end, I chose to stay here. I had made good friends here, I was happy with how my life was going and I wanted to build a future here.” He started his career as a data analyst at Unilever, after considering a career in research. “Since I have always had a genuine interest in academia, I thought about doing a PhD. I talked this over with Burak Uras, one of my professors, and he told me to not feel pressured to make this decision so soon after graduating, and that I could always return to academia.”
On a more personal level, coming to the Netherlands has also given me the confidence that I can adapt to different circumstances and go with the flow
After a year of working at Unilever, Mertcan started working at ASML. “When I started working there seven years ago, it was an established if fairly low-profile market player. Boy, has that changed! I am currently working as project lead for EUV Factory Planning and Logistics. What I like about my work is that we are manufacturing one of the most complex human-made products ever, with the machine turning out a product so small our human eye cannot even make it out. It is an essential product that has a real-time impact. I find that mind-blowing and that is also why, seven years down the line, I still enjoy working at ASML.”
Tilburg’s impact on me
Mertcan has never regretted his decision to stay in the Netherlands. “At Tilburg University, I have learned to think critically. The mindset of Dutch and Turkish people is quite different. I think people in the Netherlands are encouraged to think critically and ask questions. Rather than treat the status quo as a given they are capable of challenging it. I have also learned that you can disagree with others, even if they are older than you, as long as you do it respectfully. On a more personal level, coming to the Netherlands has also given me the confidence that I can adapt to different circumstances and go with the flow.”
My impact on Tilburg
“My mindset has always been ‘Hard work pays off.’ I believe that good things will come to those who put their mind to it. I have always had a genuine interest in learning: I am curious about everything. In Tilburg, I spent a lot of time on campus, in the library, and talking to lecturers. I think that is why I wasn’t always an easy-going project member. I would often challenge my classmates and ask questions like ‘Why are we doing things like this?’ I was never grade-oriented but really wanted to understand the content of the courses we were taking. But I think that attitude also prompted some of my classmates to challenge their way of thinking.”
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Date of publication: 29 February 2024