Navigating the challenges of international student life inspired Aram Tufan to create Happy Student, a transformative platform now recognized as a finalist at the 2023 Great British Entrepreneur Awards, showcasing his commitment to easing student transitions worldwide.
Aram Tufan knows firsthand the challenges of navigating life in a new city as a student. Born in Batman, Turkey, Tufan had the opportunity to study at the University of Westminster in London, an experience that was both transformative and difficult. The move from southeastern Turkey to London was a culture shock, and Tufan struggled at first to adapt to life in a new country with different rules, customs and even a new language.
Tufan’s own experiences inspired him to create Happy Student, a platform designed to help students transition to life in a new city and ease the challenges of adapting to an unfamiliar environment. Happy Student provides essential information and resources to help students do everything from registering with a doctor to setting up utilities, transportation and mobile phone service. The platform can also be customized for individual universities to provide school-specific resources.
“When I first moved to London to study as an international student, it was a challenging transition,” Tufan said. “Establishing a new life away from my comfort zone, friends and family was difficult. I had to learn new etiquettes, rules and regulations, all while navigating a language barrier.”
Tufan conducted research and found that many students, both international and domestic, struggled with similar difficulties settling into life in a new city. He created Happy Student to provide a single platform where students could find all the information and resources they need to thrive.
Since launching Happy Student, Tufan has achieved several major milestones, including being named a finalist for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Early Stage Stand Outs category. Happy Student was also recently auspiced by the Mayor of London and invited into the Microsoft for Startups program. Tufan aims to continue expanding Happy Student globally to help students worldwide.
Tufan’s perseverance in overcoming his own challenges as an international student and his vision for helping others navigate those same difficulties have led him to become a finalist for the 2023 Great British Entrepreneur Awards, known as “The Grammys of Entrepreneurship.” The awards will be held in London on November 20. To learn more about Tufan and Happy Student, visit happystudent.co.
