Balancing Act

Nabeel Jarrah is a busy man these days. The Jordanian PhD student from Catalytic Materials and Processes group in the Department of Science and Technology is in the midst of writing his thesis. His dissertation defense takes place in October 2004.

After completing his Master's degree in Chemical Engineering at Jordan University of Science and Technology, Nabeel worked with the Arab Potash Company for two years. “During the course of work, several questions arose in my mind to which I was seeking answers. That search finally led me to the Netherlands.” Asked if the quest was fruitful, Nabeel responds, “Frankly, I have even more questions now! But what is important to me is that I have - at least I think I have - learnt the right approach to finding the answers.”

Finding those answers, however, requires a great deal of time and energy, which often leaves Nabeel struggling to balance the demands of his research and his family. Nabeel says, “It is indeed quite hectic to write the thesis and run experiments at the same time. Writing can be quite challenging - it is one thing to have ideas in your mind and quite another to pen them down. Whew! When I started to write I did not expect it to be so grueling to covert the knowledge I gained working in the lab into words. It takes a lot of time and patience to structure and formulate things in a scientific manner.”

Nabeel has an easy-going and cheerful disposition; the interview is punctuated with his broad smiles. He continues, “Of course the final year is difficult and demanding for all PhD students. Multiple tasks have to be performed efficiently and those extra hours have to be put in. My concern is not being able to devote enough time to my family. I have to ensure that I divide my time optimally between my family and work which is quite a struggle. It is a trying situation especially for my wife as she is in a foreign country with our toddler. I am sure that she gets worn out, but hides it from me. She always encourages me to do my best.”

Nabeel”s family comprises his wife Wijdan Alijarah and daughter Banah who is two and a half years old. Wijdan says, “It is not an easy time for us. Of late Nabeel has been working almost 12 hours everyday except on Saturdays…well, that is life! We faced a similar problem last year when I was writing my Master”s thesis in Human Resources Development at the UT. At that time it was Nabeel who shouldered most the household responsibilities and looked after our daughter, thus giving me the space I needed to concentrate on my thesis. I enjoyed his unabated support and now it is my turn to do the same. It is an added responsibility, but it is enjoyable when you support and take care of the people you love. Banah goes to daycare twice a week and that gives me some free time. I usually work on improving my English or visit some friends.”

Like many young foreign couples at the UT, Nabeel and Wijdan confront the challenges of raising a child without the supportive network of family members. They look to each other for support; effective communication between them is crucial, as is a good sense of humor. As Wijdan indicates, there is also help available outside the family unit in the form of daycare. At the UT, for instance, many working parents send their children to De Vlinder here on campus. Other student-parents develop networks of friends in the same situation to lend support. As Nabeel and Wijdan attest, it is a busy, but rewarding time in their lives.