Darkhan Zhumagulov – POSCO Asia Fellowship

According to lawyer Darkhan Zhumagulov (2010 MPP, Kazakhstan), the POSCO Asia Fellowship scholarship realized several of his dreams all at once; pursue a master degree, learn the culture and traditions of northeast Asia and study about the economic development of another country.

Top of Form Sponsored by the POSCO TJ Park Foundation, the one-year scholarship program does not only include full tuition, monthly stipend, and round-trip airfare, it also organizes various activitie s which make his stay in Korea enjoyable. One special aspect of this program is its interesting stipend system where 10% of the monthly stipend is accumulated and transferred in a lump sum every 6 months. This lump sum is to be used to explore and learn about the culture and tradition of this country.

Darkhan thinks this financial arrangement works well for him because he can budget and plan his next travel or purchase. During his free time, Darkhan plays football, basketball and explores new places. His recent adventure at Everland was an “enjoyable trip” which he highly recommended all to go. He described his life at the KDI School as “one of the interesting pages in the book of life”.

TULGA Zorigsaikhan – Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Scholarship

National University of Mongolia graduate, TULGA Zorigsaikhan (2010 MPP, Mongolia) was working as an officer for Department of Development Financing and Cooperation, Ministry of Finance when he came across the scholarship announcement by KOICA. He applied because of “the prominent reputation of KDI plus plenty of good word of mouth from fellow government officials who had graduated”.

Though he was happy with the full tuition, monthly stipend, and round-trip airfare provided by the scholarship, Tulga would have loved for the duration of the program to be longer to make room for internship opportunities at government bodies and big corporations. He also added that this scholarship is ideal for government officials who wish to obtain a graduate degree within a short period.

Throughout the interview, Tulga constantly praised the school for its environment, facilities and faculty members. “I take this opportunity to thank all the Professors, staff and fellow students of the KDI School.”

ISLAM, Md. Shoriful - Colombo Plan Scholarship

Islam (2010 MPP, Bangladesh), a representative of central government in Bangladesh, came to Korea after being chosen to study at the KDI School under the Colombo Plan scholarship. Like the previous two scholarship programs, this one also includes full tuition, monthly stipend, and round-trip airfare.

Though grateful for cultural exchange opportunities where close friendships were fostered, Islam misses his family. “If only the program helped subsidize accompanying family members…”

When asked about the highlights of being awarded this scholarship, his face lit up as he expressed his satisfaction of studying at an established institution such as the KDI School. He had always had a need to pursue a Masters degree, and he thought the Masters of Public Policy at an established institution such as the KDI School fulfilled his wish. He believes it will facilitate promotion opportunities and also pave the way to more career options in developing countries.

Wang Yi Si – Korean Government Scholarship Program

Wang Yi Si, or Lois(2009 MBA, China), is a recipient of the 2008 Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) sponsored by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED). Prior to admission at the KDI School last fall, Lois received a year of Korean language training in Pusan. The scholarship also includes round trip airfare, monthly stipend and full tuition for Korean language course and 2years duration of master’s course.

Lois said the scholarship could not have come at a better time. She had just graduated from university and was looking for a chance to study overseas. The thought of learning a new language was also exciting.

According to Lois, due to higher cost of living in Seoul as compared to Pusan, she wished NIIED would consider an increase in the monthly stipend. NIIED recently offered an extra 100,000won per month for recipients with Korean proficiency Level 5 and above. She believes this is a good incentive to motivate and promote continuous learning of the Korean language. “I chose the KDI School over other so-called elite universities because of the flexible system, approachable staff and outstanding professors. I also get to share opinions with friends from all over the world. ”

By Janet Chin Shuk Henn (2009 MBA, Malaysia)