It is always sad to leave a place you consider to be your home. While those who are graduating this summer will be happy to return home, they are likely sad to leave the KDI School, their home in Korea. Today, we want to introduce one of the students who is almost at the end of her KDI School life. Yani Siregar (2018 MPP), who will be graduating this summer, is having a splendid time in the KDI School, as it is her last month of being in the KDI School as a student.

Could you please briefly introduce yourself, and tell about about what you did before coming to KDI School?

My name is Yani from Indonesia and I am an MPP Fall Student 2018. Before coming to the KDI School, I worked at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Indonesia, and assisted the multilateral cooperation division, mainly around G20 issues.

 What made you come to the KDI School?

I wanted to continue to pursue my graduate studies right after my undergraduate studies. However, at that time, it was not clear which major or which university I wanted to choose. My choice became clearer after I worked for the government.

While working for the government and assisting with international cooperation, I became interested in how international commitment can be implemented into policy. When I started looking for graduate study programs, I found that the KDI School offers a comprehensive curriculum on public policy that also covers G20 issues. Furthermore, I found that the KDI School faculty consists of professors with excellent backgrounds. Also, I had a dream to come to Korea. That was how I started looking for a way to come to the KDI School.

What was your first impression of Korea?

I lived in Busan when I first came to Korea. I still remember the first day I went with my friends from Iran, Thailand, and Indonesia to go grocery shopping, when many people stared at us. Some elders were asking us questions in Korean. Fortunately, our Iranian friend understood Korean and was able to interpret what people were asking us. The questions were about where we came from and so on. Thanks to my friend, it was my first conversation with Koreans. At first, I was a bit nervous about staying in Korea. However, as I studied more about Korea, I started to become more comfortable being here. Public transportation is highly efficient, I feel safe going everywhere, even late at night, and Koreans are also truly kind.
I remember there was a fruit-seller close to our university, he gave us a lot of extra fruits because he knew we were students from foreign countries. When we told him, “Kamsahamnidaa!”, he said, “Aigoo aigoo,” and gave us even more fruits. I was impressed by his kindness.

How have you found the KDI School so far?

The KDI School is eclectic. It offers rich and diverse knowledge, ideas, and backgrounds coming from the faculty, staff, and especially the students. Academically, I''ve gained a great deal of practical knowledge that I believe will be useful for my future field of work. For instance, studying at the KDI School made me realize the importance of data in the policy-making process. In the social aspect, living in the KDI School taught me about understanding people. I learned that it is important to know a person for who they truly are, not simply where they come from. I am grateful for my life at the KDI School.

What is your plan after graduation?

First of all, I will finally be returning home. I am excited and nervous at the same time, as I have to look for a new job. Nothing has been decided clearly but I am sure I will be able to get a job with what I have learned from the KDI School. Also, I have not been able to travel much around Korea, so I want to visit some places in Korea before I leave.

How do you want to describe your life in the KDI School?

Life at the KDI School is filled with joy and gratitude. I am grateful for each experience I had here. It was life-changing for me to study in the KDI School. I have met so many good friends and professors that I would not have met if I had not come to the KDI School. Studying was difficult, of course, but that''s how I was able to grow up and develop myself academically as well as non-academically. Rather than what I should do, I learned about what I could do to grow my community. The KDI School definitely made me a better person, so I want to describe my life at this school as filled with joy and gratitude.