How an Indonesian International Relations Student Won the Fully Funded Global Korea Scholarship to Pursue His Exchange in Business Administration at Dong-A University

Hi, my name is Gabryel Jonry, also known as Gabe, and I’m from Indonesia. I’m currently studying International Relations at BINUS University and am expected to graduate this summer. In February 2024, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to study abroad and to be a GKS Awardee for the Exchange Students Program at Dong-A University in Busan, South Korea. Studying abroad has always been my dream since I was in elementary school. The idea of learning and living abroad has always fascinated me, so it will remain my top priority. I tried a few times to apply for studying abroad in high school and university, but was never able to seize the opportunity, and the dream and passion simply never died. These ambitions also push me to take the International Relations Program at my University, BINUS, and receive an administration scholarship in the process. Other than International Relations, I have always shown interest in stuff related to Business and Management. So, when I got the opportunity to learn in South Korea, I chose to study Business Administration for the Exchange Semester.

Global Korea Scholarship Details

The scholarship I received was offered by the Korean Government through the International Office of Dong-A University. The Global Korea Scholarship includes round-trip airfare and a monthly allowance. I studied Business Administration during my Exchange semester.

Educational Background

I earned my bachelor’s degree in International Relations at BINUS University with a GPA of 3.53/ 4.00 and will be graduating this August. During University, I learned a lot about international politics and the policy-making process in the international landscape. My study was more focused on International Politics and Economics, so one of the topics we learned about was international business. The knowledge of the international landscape and business was one of the things that equipped me to be ready and push myself to take the Exchange Program.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Dong-A University?

One of the requirements for the program is to have a good TOEFL/ IELTS score. I’ve taken the IELTS test before when I was in middle school, and the score was pretty high, but since it had expired, I took the new one, and since the timing is quite tight, I chose to take a quick TOEFL.  I didn’t prepare too much for the test since I’m quite familiar, but the most important things to prepare are vocabulary and grammar, since it is the basic stuff and will help you in life abroad.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the Global Korea Scholarship?

Our university provides an Exchange program as one of the options for our mandatory Enrichment program. I chose the Exchange program in the Spring semester, and since BINUS University has a lot of universities as partners across the world, I decided to take on 5 universities in South Korea, and eventually got accepted by Dong-A University. I was preparing for my required documents (academic document, personal statement, etc ) and also the visa document for the program. Three weeks before my departure, I was informed by my university's international office that I had been nominated for the GKS Scholarship, and since I'm in the final process of my preparation, I only need to fill out the form and add some supporting documents for the Scholarship admission. With the help of my university's international office and Dong-A University admission, I only needed a few days to complete all the documents and was awarded the GKS Scholarship for Exchange Student.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or Korean?

For Exchange students, there are two options for classes we can take. One class focuses more on learning the Korean language, where the class is conducted in English, but as the class progresses, Korean is used more. The other option is to take an International class where all of the learning is conducted fully in English, and the courses offered are various. I took the second option, but since GKS required us to learn about things related to Korean culture, I also took a Korean language course.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Academically Not Knowing Korean?

Since English is not a widely spoken language in South Korea, I suggest to learn basic Korean for a better experience. From my experience, since I understand basic Korean, you still can survive and have a good time without knowing much Korean, but I can guarantee it's better to know some basic stuff.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

To be honest, I'm still figuring out what made my application stand out. There is a highlight that I will mention that may stand out. I'm very passionate about chasing my dream of learning and living abroad, and I'm very active in the Student Organization during my university life. I believe this passion and experience make my application stand out from others.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I would prepare all of my documents as early as I can. Talking to other alumni also would help the process since I was worried about a lot of the stuff and documents while preparing for the program.

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

My advice is to actively search for and open every opportunity given. Start your preparation as early as you can. Learn and research the scholarship, university, city, and country of the scholarship. Reach out to alumni if you need any help. And my last advice is also not to just focus on your academic life, be an active student, because that experience will certainly help.