Abidah Binti Haji Mohd Ragee, usually her friends call her Abidah, is the first student from Brunei Darussalam at KDI School of Public Policy and Management. She is a fresh graduate from International Islamic University Malaysia, where she completed her bachelor degree in economics specializing in Islamic Economics. When   asked to share an interesting fact about herself, she stated that “I love to read crime, mystery and thriller novels- my favorite authors are Sir. Author Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie”.

She comes from one of the smallest countries located in Southeast Asia, Brunei Darussalam. She said that “Brunei is an absolute monarchy, it is a small country with a population of around 500,000 people.” Despite being a small country, it has a natural tropical rainforest in Temburong where people can unwind and relax with nature. It also has most beautiful mosques, such as the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and Jame Asr’ Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.  Finally, she ended by stating the following enthusiastic sentence about  her country: “For me, personally, I love my country because it has this sense of ‘tranquility’ that I cannot find anywhere else. It is indeed an “Abode of Peace”. The rest of the interview was amazing and went as follows:

1.  Please tell us what motivated you to apply for a master’s degree at KDI School? How was your application process experience?

It began with a sad story. After not being able to secure a loan to pursue my masters’ studies in Europe, I felt so down at that time. However, a person told me to look into the Korean embassy website as usually they offer Bruneian students scholarships to study in Korea.  So, when I visited the website, I saw a post about KDI School, Spring 2022 master’s applications. As such, I applied for the Spring 2022 intake and thankfully here I am.

Personally, the application process was quite good. However, because I graduated from a Malaysian university, my certificate and academic transcripts needed to be attested by the Korean Embassy in Malaysia instead of Brunei. So, for me that process was the longest one through the application process experience.

2. As the first student from Brunei, can you please share your experience and thoughts about KDIS?

I am quite new at KDI School, it has only been almost 2 months that I have been here. In fact, I have not visited many places due to the fear of Covid-19. However, I enjoyed all the activities organized by KDI School. Thankfully, the staff I have met at KDI School and everyone at the dormitory are very helpful and friendly. I have made some amazing friends while studying here, and I love cooking in the kitchen because people are willing to share their food and to try new kinds of cuisine. Being the first Bruneian at KDI School is quite scary and exciting. It is scary because it feels like I am the main image of my country now- people at KDI School are learning about my country through me. So, I don’t want to portray a bad image for my country and people. However, it is exciting at the same time because being ‘the first’ gives me a chance to not only make a mark at KDI School, but to make my family and country proud.

3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I am picturing myself as a successful woman in her career. I wish to work at the Brunei Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. However, if that is not the path written for me, I know that whatever I do and wherever I am, I will be happy, successful and useful in my own ways. Surely, if I have another chance to visit Korea, I will come to KDI School again.

4. Any last word or advice to prospective students?

You may sometimes think that your life is not going as you planned, but nevertheless, everything in life happens for a reason. You will achieve your goals at specific times in your life, even if they are not the times you chose. For all of this, purity of intention is important because it is the driving force behind your actions. And so, when you are aiming for the good, your actions will reflect that goodness. Humans are forgetful creatures, though, so you should frequently "refresh and reflect" your intentions, and may doing so bring forth greatness from each and every one of us. Thus, I hope that everyone at KDI School will find that "something" good which is destined only for them.