The student endured a difficult journey to graduation day
Raja Soban Gulzar graduates from Queen’s University
A student has spoken about his difficult journey to graduation day, including the sudden death of his mother 4,000 miles away while he was studying in Belfast.
Raja Soban Gulzar arrived in Belfast in September 2024 to start an MSc in Construction and Project Management at Queen’s University, and he couldn’t have anticipated the difficulties that lay ahead for him, or how well he would navigate them.
From a rural area in Kashmir, Raja found moving to Belfast a culture shock and says the experience was “overwhelming” as he first began his life here.
He said: “When I came to Belfast, I was really struggling, it was such a culture shock. Even despite that, I was still working hard and getting good grades, but then suddenly I had a psychotic attack.
“I had to be hospitalised and it was very difficult, especially since I was so far away from home. The one person who kept reassuring me was my mum – she would call me from Kashmir and tell me everything would be ok.”
For Raja his mum, 4,000 miles away, was a lifeline and a constant source of support, but tragically, and completely unexpectedly, she died suddenly while he was in hospital.
“At the time, I was just numb, completely numb. Three days after I heard, I got out of hospital and flew back to Kashmir, but I couldn’t attend the funeral, it was too late. It was so hard,” he added.
Despairing and wondering how to deal with the situation, Raja decided he would return to Belfast and rejoin his course – it was, he felt, the best tribute he could pay to a mum who had always encouraged him to do his best.
“It was a hard thing to do. All of these things had happened to me in just a few months. But I mustered my courage and came back to Queen’s in January 2025.
“My programme directors said I should take some time out, but I was determined to do it – I said ‘no, I’ll come back and do it this year’.”
Determined to settle into Belfast and do his best in his studies, Raja made a special effort to exercise and enjoy the city’s parks and natural attractions. It was on one of his regular trips to the Cavehill that bad luck would strike again, when he fell and broke his foot.
“I broke seven bones and had to have two surgeries. It meant I couldn’t move, I was immobile, living on my own, doing assignments on my own. My heart was still heavy with my mum’s death. It was a very dark time.”
But, says Raja, one of the lessons he learnt was that with determination and the right mental outlook, he could overcome adversity. It made him, he says, even more determined to succeed.
“I really applied myself and finished my degree with an average of more than 68 percent, which is good for a university like Queen’s.
“I went on and did my Master’s and unbelievably for me I was able to get two papers into two internationally recognised journals.
“I could never have believed that I would have been able to achieve that at this stage in my academic career. One will be published in the next month or so and the other shortly after.
“Now I am looking for a job in the industry, but plan to do a PhD while I work.”
And for Raja, if there’s one lesson he has taken from his experiences over the past two years, and one that he’d like others to take, it is this: “Never give up and realise that you can grow and become stronger from setbacks that happen to you.”
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