Fulbright Scholar Francis Hwang from New Zealand Shares His Journey of Studying Public Policy at Brandeis University, USA

My name is Francis Hwang. I am originally from South Korea and grew up in New Zealand from the age of 9.

I have a varied professional and academic background. My first degree was in mechanical engineering, where I focused on medical device development. After university, I joined Deloitte Consulting, where I focused on developing and delivering large-scale transformation programmes for New Zealand’s largest public and private sector organisations. Here, I became thoroughly interested in large-scale change and therefore became interested in public policy as a means to uplift the quality of life on a global scale.

To pursue this career change, I decided that further study would be beneficial, which led me to consider educational opportunities overseas as well as wanting to travel and see the world more. I applied to the Fulbright Scholarship Programme in New Zealand and was thankfully selected in 2017. I pursued a Master of Public Policy with a focus on Health Policy at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

This would provide a broad set of skills around policy making, political science, economics, negotiations, public management, and policy implementation, amongst other key skills that are essential for effective policy making and delivery. Post my master’s, I was able to join a prominent consulting company in New Zealand that focused on designing and delivering health policy programmes in New Zealand.

Fulbright Scholarship Details

Fulbright Scholarship

• $31,000 USD
• Return flights
• Pre- and post- study programmes

Were You Offered any Other Scholarships?

I was offered a merit-based scholarship worth 80% of tuition fees from Brandeis University.

Educational Background

University of Auckland - Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with First Class Honours (GPA: 3.8/4.0)

Pennsylvania State University – Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, semester exchange (GPA: 3.9/4.0, Dean’s List)

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Brandeis University?

It is important to do the research to understand your study topic area and which schools have a good reputation – this is based on their research outputs, research centres they host, and the professors they have. The university rankings are a good indicator, but it is important to do further research into the specific research centres and professors to see if they align with your area of interest.

I took the GRE. I bought some online resources (past exams), as well as using GRE textbooks from my local library.

How Do You Rate Brandeis University Academically and Why? 

Heller School and Brandeis University were a great place to study for many reasons

• High reputation for work in social and health policy due to its researchers and research outputs
• Well diverse graduate student cohort from across the world and the US – a vibrant domestic and international graduate student community means it is easy to make friends and find support networks
• Close proximity to Boston and Cambridge, which is an educational hub in the US, leading to various opportunities to attend conferences, speaker visits, and interact with students from a range of schools
• Being further away from Boston and Cambridge meant the living costs were cheaper
• University is known to provide high financial scholarships

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

The Fulbright programme is quite specific in what it looks for. It is looking for future leaders who will contribute to the home country, as well as someone who will bridge the two cultures with the US. It is therefore important to have a strong narrative on what you hope to achieve with the degree for your home country, whether it is in a public or private arena, but ultimately to contribute meaningfully. It is also important to show that you will be a good ambassador for your home country when you are in the US. It requires showing that you have a good understanding of the core values that the home country holds and how you would portray this in your interactions with people in the US. 

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

It is important to have a well-thought-out narrative when you write essays for scholarship programmes like Fulbright. What makes an applicant unique isn’t the list of achievements on a CV but highlighting your values and principles that you live by, and how your life experiences and involvements to date reflect those values and principles. Good grades would help, but it is not the most essential component. You need to show that you have a commitment to serving society and community and show that you have been taking time and effort to do so, above and beyond your immediate priorities. A clear narrative on what your values are, how you have been living out those values, what your ambitions for change in the future are, and how further studies would help you achieve those ambitions are core components of what a strong narrative would be.