Global Korea Scholarship Recipient, Kainat Fatima from Pakistan, Shares Her Journey of Pursuing a Master’s in Food Application Technology at Kyungpook National University, South Korea

I am Kainat Fatima, from Sargodha, Pakistan. I recently graduated with my master’s in Food Application Technology from Kyungpook National University, South Korea.

Global Korea Scholarship Details

I am a recipient of GKS’22 (Global Korea Scholarship), which is a fully funded scholarship by the Korean government. It covers one year of Korean language school training and 2 years of master’s tuition and provides a monthly stipend and health insurance. Along with this, the scholarship also covers travel expenses.

Educational Background

Before applying to this scholarship, I had a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from the University of Sargodha, Pakistan (GPA 3.79/4.0).

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Kyungpook National University?

I gathered most of the information from YouTube videos and reading the official instructions for the application. I also contacted a few universities when I had questions. I choose GKS R&D pathway. Which allowed me to choose Kyungpook National University for my major.

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

I wrote my statement of purpose with the help of YouTube videos and prepared all my documents in advance, all the attestation procedure. This scholarship doesn’t require English or Korean certification; I just used my MOI certificate (Medium of Instruction) as my proof of English proficiency. And I also contacted a few professors from different universities and got their approval before mentioning their names and my research interest in the statement of purpose.

How is (was) Your Experience at Kyungpook National University? 

In my language school, the system was very well supported with cultural activities and interactive classes. Although for learning any language, you must rely more on self-study after a while. You can do well if you find a balance between classes and self-study for the official Korean language exam.

For my master’s degree, all I will say is I graduated J (You can omit this part if you want, because it was not a good experience, haha)

How Does Kyungpook National University Support International Students?

The institution supports students by providing a bunch of cultural fun activities, trips, healing camps, counseling sessions, admission office is doing its best. They are very welcoming and supportive of international students.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or Korean?

To my surprise, they were 90% in Korean. During my interview, I specifically asked about the classes, and I was told it would be 50/50 English/Korean. Although the class materials were usually provided in both languages. The exams were also conducted in both English and Korean.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Academically Not Knowing Korean?

With my personal observation, yes. Not necessarily in classes, but academically in labs, it is important to know a native language, because we work with a lot of native students. They have trouble communicating, which can cause distress and many other issues.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I had the professor’s acceptance and a clear research idea. Other than that, I choose good scholarship pathway according to my major. Which was GKS R&D. GKS have few pathways.

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

I would have done more research on the lab environment and reputation before joining.

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

Start preparing a few months in advance. All information is available online, on YouTube, Google, and do your thorough research. Please choose your lab that matches your interest, don’t go in blindly, and don't have a hard time later. Good Luck!!