An Indian National Wins the Global Korea Scholarship to Pursue a Master's at Kyungpook National University

Namaste! My name is Yuvraj Singh Chaudhry and I am from India. I am a GKS-G 2022 scholar, who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in AI from Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea. AI is a fresh and blooming major as most enterprises across the globe are shifting their operations to AI platforms. Also, a lot of individuals have been using AI-based applications a lot for their personal interests as well. Hence, it seemed like a good place to step in for me after my under-graduation. Apart from my studies, I like to go explore places (usually not so well-known places), play some sports, go out for a walk or a hike, or hit a café (you can see that most of the time on my IG, @yuvraj.chaudhry).

Global Korea Scholarship Details

GKS or Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is a fully funded scholarship provided by the South Korean government itself, to invite students from across the globe for various study programs such as undergraduate, graduate, and PhD. Usually, the application is carried out via 2 different tracks (you can select any one) embassy track and university track (I am an embassy track applicant). The key difference is that in the embassy track, you can apply to 3 different universities via the Korean embassy in your country. Whereas for the university track, you can apply only to one particular university, but you apply to them directly. The application progress is a bit lengthy and rigorous, so you need to be patient. This scholarship covers your tuition fees at your university while providing a monthly stipend for your accommodation and personal use. Currently, the monthly stipend for the graduates is 1.3 million Korean Won (~944$). Apart from that they also provide you with plane tickets for when you are about to start your studies and when you finish your studies. Overall, it is an amazing deal.

Educational Background

For my educational background, my undergraduate degree was in a computer applications major, and I had an average of 8.8 CGPA (on a scale of 10) which converts to 88%. Since, I come from a computer science background, selecting AI as a major was welcoming for me. Moreover, I did a face recognition project in my final semester of undergrad, so it helped me become familiar with some basics as well.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Global Korea Scholarship and Kyungpook National University?

While preparing for this scholarship, I went through tons of YouTube videos, sharing experiences of the past GKS scholars. Apart from that, I went through materials available on the internet regarding the application process for the scholarship and the required documents as well. The document part is the most confusing for the majority of the applicants and results in a lot of rejections even for really strong students. So, make sure to pay attention while preparing your documents. During the screenings, your SOP (Statement of Purpose) and Personal Statement play a very big role, so make sure to take your time and craft that piece of paper over time with multiple iterations. If you are able to get a TOPIK (Korean Proficiency Exam), especially Lvl. 4 and above, before your application, then that will give you some advantage. Otherwise, you can still submit any recognized English proficiency scores (IELTS, TOEFL) as well to strengthen your application.

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

If I had a chance to do something differently, then it would be to stay more relaxed during the screening process. The screening period usually lasts multiple weeks without any communication, which makes it really stressful for the applicants. Even though I was composed and calm during my screenings, at times I still got nervous and used to overthink a bit. Hence, I would like to avoid that, and just trust my application. So, submit your application and take a comfortable seat for the next few months.

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

To the ones, looking forward to applying for this prestigious scholarship, please make sure you do research regarding your majors nicely. As, the education style might be very different from the places you grew up in and it could be really stressful, especially for Graduate students. STEM students should be ready to spend more hours in their research labs than they would do in their classrooms throughout their degree program. It is also nice to get in touch with the professors from the department you are planning to apply for. It helps you build a bond with them prior to your application itself, which in turn can help you through your screening process. Don’t be scared to reach out to past or existing scholars at any time, but make sure to be patient with their responses, as they might be busy with their tasks as well.