Global Korea Scholarship Master's Student Karel Kym Sauvageau from Canada Shares His Journey of Studying International Peace and Security at Korea University, South Korea

My name is Karel Kym Sauvageau, and I am a French Canadian from Quebec City, Canada. I am a 2024 Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) Graduate recipient at Korea University, pursuing a Master’s degree in International Peace and Security with a thesis research focused on climate change mitigation and wars.

I chose Korea University because it was the only university in Korea offering a Master’s degree in International Peace and Security. Other universities do offer similar courses, but the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Korea University is more narrowly focused on international conflict topics, which I wanted to explore in depth. Korea University is one of the top universities in Korea, and it is very international student friendly. I have always felt very welcome here, and there are so many opportunities to get involved on campus through different student groups or initiatives. There are also many student societies available for anyone to join, and I am currently the President of the Society for Climate Change and Sustainable Development (SCCSD).

Educational Background

I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Laval University in Quebec City and a bachelor’s degree in geopolitics of Asia from the University of Montreal. Having worked many years at my government’s office and having many experiences in youth initiatives regarding the SDGs also helped in adding value to my GKS application and showing my desire to pursue my current studies and research. Plus, I was also involved in different student committees during my undergrad studies. If you study at Faculté des arts et des sciences (FAS) of the University of Montreal (UdeM), there is also a 15,000 CAD scholarship when you want to do an exchange in Korea called the McCall MacBain - Université de Montréal Expérience à l’étranger. I got that scholarship for my exchange to Sungkyunkwan University in 2022 and having received it was definitely a plus when I applied to GKS two years later. Having been an exchange student in Korea and having contacts through participating in activities with my government in Korea was also a plus.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Institutions?

From my experience, the most crucial document of the GKS application was the personal statement. Although during the interview they did ask a lot of questions regarding the study plan, they also asked many questions regarding the personal statement. The personal statement is probably the most meaningful way of differentiating yourself from other applicants, because it is your story and represents exactly who you are and why this scholarship is for you. GKS is so competitive nowadays that it is crucial that your personal statement explains in what ways GKS is made for you. So what did I talk about in my personal statement? I explained my journey, but more importantly, my ‘‘why?’’: why my background has led me here, why this scholarship must be my next step, why I’m a perfect fit for this scholarship, and why receiving this scholarship will help me have a positive impact around me. Everything from your academic and professional journey needs to be detailed for you to be able to indicate your ambitions, goals, and various capabilities. A big value to your application is: knowledge. Write online articles about Korea or anything related to it; this way, you won’t have to prove your expertise to the interviewers, they will know you possess it. When applying to GKS, I had written a few online articles, including one long 10-page research paper about the Miracle on the Han River, Korea’s economic growth, published by my university’s journal. 

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I did the TOEFL iBT test, and I think it’s one of the most recognized. If you’re used to English, it is pretty simple to get higher scores; for that, make sure to do some mock tests online beforehand. Also, make sure to have at least TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) Level 3 (3급) at the time of application. There are so many good ways to learn Korean these days, so I can’t only mention one, but one thing that helps for sure is to put many post-it at home on the objects that you often tend to forget the Korean words. For instance, put the Korean word for fridge on your fridge, etc. I also did Korean-French exchanges with a friend online, and it helped me so much to understand better and to speak like Koreans, so find yourself a Korean friend online, these days there are so many ways to do that, and call them at least once a week. Also, make sure to have at least two volunteering activities in your curriculum and explain that you want to continue contributing to your community. Of course, this all needs to be genuinely coming from you. If this idea of helping around yourself resonates with you, then you’ll have no problem demonstrating it, and I think this scholarship is in fact for you. Make sure to add all of your previous research and volunteering activities to the annexes in your GKS application.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the GKS Scholarship?

One point that I can’t stress enough is: make sure to start months before the application period. I always feel so stressed out for other people when they come to me asking questions for the application, only a month before intending to apply. You can’t make it through in only a month: for graduate applicants, the deadline is normally in February, so start preparing at least in October. The reason for that is that it is a very intense process, and you won’t feel like you have assessed all of it in only a month. Since you have to write at least 6 pages total for your personal statement and your study plan, it won’t look good if you write them all at the last minute.

In my case, I took a whole year just writing my thoughts and planning my studies step by step, and you could tell that in the end, my personal statement and study plan were very structured, and every single word in them was reviewed over and over. You need to show that you can have a positive impact with these studies in Korea and that it is required for you to grow even more in your professional endeavors, so take all the time to go through every step of the process. When you do the interview, having worked on your application for months will tell, because you will demonstrate important knowledge about GKS, and also you will know yourself very well and know how and why this experience is made for you.

I did the Embassy Track, since it’s the only track available in Canada. I’m from Quebec, and Quebec has only one spot every year in February. Make sure to understand the application process on studyinkorea.go.kr. For Embassy Track, you need to follow the instructions from the Korean Consulate in Montreal by checking their online notices. They are the ones doing the interview; there were no other interviews after. Make sure to prepare adequately for the interview by knowing everything you wrote in your personal statement and your study plan by heart. Also, you should simulate the interview at home by preparing answers to any possible questions that they could ask. Their questions will be mainly about your background, the reason why you need that scholarship for your professional endeavors, your interest in Korea, and how it can benefit your country and Korea, etc. Look into any possible topic they could ask online based on other GKS Scholars and prepare accordingly. 

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

I also really can’t stress this enough: you need to present a genuine interest in adding value to your community by getting involved in various projects or initiatives. The reason for that is that you are seeking a scholarship from a foreign government, so it is essential to focus on the reason why these two cultures must be interconnected, the Korean culture and your own. Ask yourself: why Korea but not anywhere else? Make sure that your answer includes ways to benefit society or a particular field of work, rather than yourself only. Yes, this scholarship is a lot about you, but the outcome is more about what you can give back from it in your professional endeavors than your personal benefits. If you’ve read this far, you surely have the motivation to apply for GKS. I can only wish for you to spread your wings and fly! Be meticulous with your application, and keep that confidence right where it is! 화이팅!

Karel.