Could you please introduce yourself to the audience?

I am Abunaw Robert, a Spring 2023 Masters in Development Policy student from Cameroon, a country fondly referred to as the "Africa in miniature" due to its impressive geographical, linguistic, and cultural diversity. I have been working as a diplomat for my country's Ministry of External Relations for over 8 years, making contributions and recommendations towards fostering ties with international partners and implementing foreign policy. My research interests center around Development Cooperation, International Development, Official Development Assistance, Foreign Policy, and Digital Diplomacy.

What motivated you to pursue a master's degree in your chosen field of study?

KDI School has a truly global reputation as an institution of academic excellence. Its rich curriculum and well-designed master's programs are tailored to provide solutions to most of the world's contemporary problems. These factors were a significant motivation for me to apply for a Master's in Development Policy. With a Master's Degree in Development Policy, I knew I would gain the knowledge and skillset necessary to contribute to building healthy, wealthy, and sustainable communities.

Additionally, the cultural and linguistic diversity of the student population since 1997 encouraged me to choose to study at KDIS. I was looking forward to learning from the Korean development experience and different professionals in the school community about policies that could be relevant for my country in its development drive.

How does your academic background align with the subject area you are currently studying in your master's program?

Having a background in International Relations and Diplomacy prepares you to tackle some of the global challenges of the 21st century. Interestingly, I began my career in the Foreign Ministry in 2015, the year in which the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted. Later on, I was assigned to the Sub-Department of Economic and Social Cooperation of the Francophonie Department, where, as Bureau head, I worked on files for cooperation on human development issues and issues of growth. Diplomacy today is multidisciplinary and goes beyond peace and conflict resolution. It requires academic and professional training that is cross-cutting and addresses the development challenges of today's world.

Can you tell us about any specific research projects or coursework you have completed during your master's program that you found particularly interesting or challenging?

As part of my requirements for the completion of the course on "Data-Driven Foreign Aid," I worked with a team of two other coursemates to research "Analyzing the Impact of Foreign Aid on the Eradication of Malaria in West Africa." The purpose of the research was to analyze, assess, and make policy recommendations on foreign aid trends towards fighting the disease in the West African Region. This required us to have a good understanding of data analysis and collection. We worked mostly with R Studio, a language model for data analysis, in order to clean our data and generate compelling data visualizations. Although it was a challenging task, we were constantly aided and supervised by Professor Dongil Lee, our course instructor, and we finally produced a useful and well-researched document that hopefully adds to scientific knowledge.

What skills or knowledge have you gained through your master's program that you believe will be valuable in your future career or academic pursuits?

Studying at KDIS has been a significant journey for personal and professional growth. I have been exposed to a rich course curriculum and hands-on experiences in development. The presentations, research topics, and class discussions, which are integral parts of student training, have greatly enhanced my written and verbal communication skills (essential in the field of diplomacy). The smart technology and software provided by the school have strengthened my knowledge of information and communication technologies. I believe these are sectors that can have a transformative impact back home, and I am eagerly looking forward to putting this knowledge at the service of my community and country. I can't end without talking about the interpersonal skills I have gained in our beautifully diverse student community and values like tolerance, respect, and humility. KDI School has prepared me to be a global citizen.