I never imagined myself pursuing a master’s degree, but now I am here at KDI school and I am so excited to be here. I am a spring 2023 student studying for a Master of Development Policy (MDP). It was not an easy decision to pursue a master’s degree because it requires a lot of time and money. Therefore, I spent a lot of time considering different schools and pondering which school can help me be productive and study what I want. The answer is now clear. KDI School was the only place. Even though there are countless reasons I decided to study at KDI School, I would like to go through four. 

The most important consideration in choosing this graduate school was "how much the school can help me improve my practical skills and provide me with experience." In my four years of undergraduate school, I learned a lot of theories and acquired theoretical knowledge about my chosen field, but I felt that I lacked practical training. I wanted to have the opportunity to develop my knowledge and adapt it to real-world examples. Since I want to work in international organizations one day, I need professional and practical experience. KDI School was the best choice for this consideration. In this regard, KDIS certainly has a lot of economic policy-oriented education. The school itself emphasizes economics and is based on the study of practical application cases. Moreover, KDI school offers the most comprehensive and diverse internship opportunities. The school offers internship opportunities with international organizations such as UNESCO, the UNDP, and the AfDP and UN. There are also various research labs that you can participate in. The high caliber professors work with many renowned scholars around the world. One example is a project in Malawi with US economist Jeffrey David Sachs. Through research assistance experience, the administrative work for research and holding seminars is an extraordinary opportunity to meet different experts from different fields. The research work can help me improve my analytical skills and strengthen my academic knowledge.

Another notable difference was the proportion of international students. My four years at university were also different from those at other schools, as nearly 70% of the student body consisted of international students. I had more foreign friends than Koreans, and that was a crucial point to improve my language skills and hear different stories from different backgrounds. Therefore, I wanted to maintain this environment, and KDI School was the only graduate school that offered a similar environment. Language skills are a basic requirement to work abroad and deal with global issues. The KDI school environment forces one to speak English and interact with foreign friends and classmates. Also, I can listen to different opinions and perspectives on a certain topic from different countries and environments. I am sure that this will help me develop the ability to make arguments for a consensus and a solution to a problem. 

Also, as a student, it is extremely rare to meet people in high official positions. And even if you do meet them, it is difficult to be friends because of the difference in social position. However, at KDI School, the percentage of general students is very low, and most come from public institutions, public enterprises, government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and private companies. Regardless of age or profession, all are equal students and communicate as friends and peers. We can study and socialize together, and this allows me to build a valuable network for my future career.

Unlike other graduate schools, KDI school has a "data science concentration." I believe that economists and other social scientists in the modern world would need to be able to read and analyze the data using historical data or data they have found. Apart from statistics, the ability to be able to interpret the results and numbers and process the data by ourselves is important. KDI school offers a well-structured programming curriculum. Students can easily learn Python and R even if they are a beginner. That is what attracted me to study at KDI School, and I am currently learning how to run R. Running codes and data is not only beneficial in the job market but also for your future research.

Last but not least, the excellent faculty gave me the confidence to want to learn practical skills. Learning knowledge and information only from books is useless and everyone can do it themselves. The value of information and knowledge is in the "flow". I wanted to learn how this knowledge is actually used in Korean society and in the global economy. I personally believe that the role of mentors is very important. The way professors guide and mentor their students have a great impact on the students' future careers and skills. Although professors who have already retired certainly have a wealth of knowledge and experience, I wanted to learn from those who are currently in the field and learn for today's business and politics. There are more than 30 professors at KDI School, and these faculty members range from professors who are relatively new but actively working in the field to professors who have been accumulating their expertise in the field for decades. Since I was not yet sure what field I wanted to study and what career I wanted to pursue, the faculty with diverse backgrounds assured me that I could take my time in choosing the field I wanted to explore once I entered the school.

I am now enjoying life at KDI School to the fullest and the school is providing exactly what I expected. The school does its best to support its students and I am grateful for everything. I highly recommend KDI School to anyone who wants to learn practical skills for economics.