How to Find a Fully Funded Foreign Scholarship

How to Find a Fully Funded Foreign Scholarship? Tips for preparing Scholarship Application, targeting a University/Program and available opportunities around the world Inayat Ullah Amin (Ph. D, Public Policy) Recipient of the Global Ambassadors’ Scholarship at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea

OUTLINE • Motivation • Key Benefits (Educational, Financial, Social benefits) • Beware of Scams • Getting Prepared! (80% effort is ONE time) • Developing an Attractive Proposal (How much it matters for your selection? ) • Why do they ask for Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement? • Completing a Document Package (Something often ignored) • Targeting ( When, How and where) • Maximizing the chances of selection • Seeking for Potential Supervisors • Questions & Answers

Bridging the Gap between Aspiration and Achievement Where I am? Where I want to Study?

Motivation for Scholarship? • The Cost of Higher Education in a Developed Country • The Cost of Accommodation and Food • Career Advantage • Improved Performance

Key Benefits of Scholarships (Much more than what you expect!) • Financial Benefits • Best Quality of Education Environment • Exposure to a Diverse World (You will meet students from around the world) • Medical Insurance • Broaden World View

Beware of Scams • If you have to pay money to get money, it is probably a scam • Never invest money to get information about scholarships or to apply for a scholarship • Nobody can guarantee that you’ll win a scholarship • Do not give out personal information like bank account numbers, credit card numbers etc.

Making your mind • It’s Never late and it’s Never Impossible • Make your destination your dream • Recall the pictures, stories or place you dream and always get energy • Believe that you are the perfect candidate for your destination

Who Often Win the Scholarships? (Strategies) • It’s a numbers game • Even among talented students, who wins involves a bit of luck, not just skill • To win more scholarships, apply to more scholarships, but only if you qualify • You can’t win if you don’t apply • One in four students never applies for financial aid • No-application is better than incomplete application!! • It gets easier after your first 10 applications • The stuff can be reused and tailored to each new application • Don’t miss deadlines

Getting prepared (80% effort is ONE time) • Set up a schedule where every Saturday night you sit for 3 hours and work on applications • Give enough time for each step (Don’t try to get rid of the process) • Be methodical. Keep your application related data in separate folders for future references and records. • Create an accomplishments. • Be slow but persistent

The 20% Effort ! • Prioritize your applications by deadline and the expected value of the scholarship • Tailor your application to the sponsor’s goals • Read and follow the instructions • Make your application stand out from the crowd • Practice on a copy of the application form

Application for Scholarship: Activity Flow Chart Weekdays: Break time Doc. Saturday Night: 3 Hours Generate Pool Prioritize Search • MS, Scholarship, Finance, fully funded etc. • Deadline • Qualification • Country Eligibility • Subject Relevant 1. Full Bright 2. Chevening 3. GAS 4. DAAD 5. MEXT 6. NEEID Proposal Requirement • Target Students • Major Areas Tailor Existing Work • Proposal • Cover Letter • SOP Obtain Recommend ation Package Ready to Submit

Give time to read about the organization • Look at what the organization actually is looking for? • Their mission statement or values page and understand what seems important to them and how they talk about themselves. • Then identify those keywords and values, and make sure you work those into your application.

Understand how they evaluate candidates? • Look at past winners or the detailed FAQs that's probably on their website. • Re-read the parts where they describe how candidates will be evaluated. • Keep coming back to this and checking yourself and your application against each and every one of those criteria. • Try to match you are potential competence with what they require.

Statement of Purpose (So. P)– Things-to-do • Be yourself (Write in as simple words as possible) • Emphasize on what motivates you to that specific university? • Highlight the key courses offered and show your interest in learning them. • Include a Plan for Giving Back • Create an impression that you can easily adopt to new environment, culture and climate.

Tips for Writing a Good Statement of Purpose • Answer the essay questions orally and transcribe the recording (Answer what they ask) • Use an outline to organize your thoughts • Give examples and be specific • Talk about your impact on other people • Proofread a print copy of the essay for spelling and grammar errors

Statement of Purpose-Things to avoid • Avoid Generic Statements at all Costs • You have a unique story by virtue of being alive. • So don't say things like, "I want to explore new cultures" or "I've always been interested in Korean Culture. " • Tell the story about yourself and family and how people in your area suffer from poverty and lack of opportunities. • Make your interests come alive through concise stories and personal experience.

Statement of Purpose---- Breakdown • Explain your most important accomplishment and explain why you think it as such. ---------------Less than 400 words • Example: My admission at in the undergraduate program at a competitive university such as COMSATS University Islamabad itself has been a great accomplishment. Over the course of my studies, I have maintained a good academic as well as non-academic record including-------------------------------------------------------------- • Describe your research interest with regard to your career vision. (Less than 400 words) • Example: The weaker public institutional structure coupled with less efficient human resource is one of the most critical developmental challenges to the country. My research proposal that focuses on alternative mechanisms to transform institutional performance could instrumental in taking off the country on the track. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Describe your potential contributions to the class if you were to receive admission to the KDI School. (Less than 400 words) • Example: I expect to be one of those students who keep a lively interaction with peer groups. I am open to deliberation in group, teamwork, discussions in a diverse culture due to my existing university experience -------------------------------------

Tips for Successful Research Proposal 1. Follow the instructions! (Every scholarship has instructions on what they need) 2. Break down your proposal into points form before writing your first draft. 3. Know your audience. 4. Have a clear title. 5. Make an impact in the first few sentences. 6. Emphasize multidisciplinary aspects of the proposal, if applicable. 7. Show that your research is feasible. 8. Get the proposal reviewed and commented on by others. 9. Remember that nothing is set in stone 10. Precision is always better

Research Proposal Breakdown • Introduction • The first line of the paragraph is very important. It should imply the key research question considering the existing literature. • Should end with the real gap in the research area provoking a research question. • Tentative Research Question(s) • Testable Questions • Clearly specify your outcome variables • Data and Proposed Methods • Clearly identify the possible source of data collection or data generation (if primary) • How each variable can be measured in the best possible way • What proposed theoretical and/or Empirical model can best describe the relationship(s) • Timeline and Budget • Clearly show our availability for starting work, data collection etc. • Also identify if you need financial support for data collection • Specify additional skills/tools you need to conduct research

Institutional Reforms through E-Governance: How Much it Matters for Developing Countries? Inayat Ullah Amin 1. Introduction Institutional quality across developing countries has been considered an important policy challenge that needs rigorous analysis. A number of studies (e. g. Acemoglu, 2012; Sachs, 2017 etc) observe the increasing impact of information technology on the governance system------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This proposed research therefore attempts to examine the effect of an innovative computer-based appraisal system in a public sector organization in Pakistan by adopting diff-in-diff model using panel data.

Tips for getting Recommendation Letter • Ask the Professor or anyone else whether he/she can write you a great letter of recommendation • The recommendation should be relevant to the scholarship sponsor’s goal • Provide the recommender with a copy of your Research Proposal • Provide the recommender with what the target university or organization is looking for. • Avoid using generic recommendation letter.

Cover Letter and Other Addendums • Do not include a cover letter if the application forbids it. • Include contact information on your cover letter. • Shortly narrate your key achievements. • Grammatically perfect and Spell out abbreviations.

Person to whom directed Date Department Salutation Where I got the information Talk about your graduation Other than graduation, what you have relevant to the program Skills, such as STATA, SPSS etc you have How passionate you are to towards that program Contact

CV /Resume • ALWAYS include a resume, • Your resume should include: Test Scores (GRE, FGMAT, IELTS etc) and GPA List of extracurricular activities Academic/Career Interests Honors & Awards Hobbies & Special Interests Travel abroad experience Volunteer/Paid Work Special circumstances Experiences Leadership roles Personal References Characteristics that describe yourself

Completing a document package (something often ignored) • Do you think its only academically best students who always win? ? ? NO • That is not always the case. Instead, it's often the applicant who does the best job of presenting his or her application who wins the scholarship money. • The key to success lies in scholarship strategy and creating a successful approach to finding and applying for awards.

Facing Scholarship Interview • Sell your brilliance, not limitations !!! (Excuses have no value) • Record a mock interview and review the recording afterward. • Wear appropriate attire • Pay attention to the interviewer’s name (Very important) • Avoid calling him/her Sir/Madam, (Either call professor or Just Mr. Name) • Be polite and send a thank you note afterward • Finally, it doesn’t hurt to be smiling!

Korean Government Scholarships • The purpose of this scholarship is to attract the talented international students to study in Korea and transfer the knowledge and technology as part of being OECD country. Key Information Description Type of Scholarship Fully Funded for undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph. D Eligible Countries All Developing Countries Scholarship Coverage Full tuition, monthly stipend, airplane tickets, language training fee, settlement allowance, medical insurance Scholarship Amount Tuition Fee Plus 1000 USD per Month Application Dates Undergraduate- October- November Graduates- March- April Application Procedures Both University Track and Embassy Track (Univ Website)

Korea Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy • Ranked as the top among 7, 800 think tanks in the world in the field of International Development and Public Policy • Masters Programs • Public Policy • Development Policy • Public Management • Ph. D • Public Policy • Development Policy

KDI School Global Ambassadors’ Scholarship (GAS) • Benefits: Full tuition waiver, Airfare, Accommodation and monthly stipend of 1000 USD for recipients besides extensive opportunities for serving as TA/CA • Eligibility: Admitted international students • Program Duration: 3 Years for Ph. D; 2 Years for Masters • Admissions Period: Spring and fall admissions • How to Apply: There is no separate application. Most international students enrolled in a full-time Master's program will become potential candidates for this scholarship. • Eligible Countries: ODA Recipient Countries • Admission Procedure: Both University Track and Embassy Track

Other Scholarship at KDI School • Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is offering scholarship program for students from developing countries to undertake full-time postgraduate study • Targeted Programs: International Development, Women and Development, Public Policy, Fishery Science, Agriculture and Rural Development, etc. • SEOUL G 20 Leaders Fellowship • For Govt Officials • POSCO Asia Fellowship • NIIED Global Korea Scholarship for Graduate Degree (GKS-G)

Seoul National University (Undergraduate, Graduate) • One of the Biggest Universities in Korea located in Seoul, the Capital City Key Information Description University Ranking 2 nd in Korea, 36 th in the World Type of Scholarship Fully Funded for undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph. D Eligible Countries All Developing Countries Scholarship Coverage Full tuition, monthly stipend, airplane tickets, language training fee, settlement allowance, medical insurance Scholarship Amount Tuition Fee Plus 1000 USD per Month Application Dates Undergraduate- January 9 - February 16, June 5 -July 13. Master’s, Ph. D- February 20 - March 30, August 7 - August 30. Application Procedures Both University Track and Embassy Track (Univ Website) Teaching Language English, Korean

Yonsei University (undergraduate and Graduate) • Oldest University in Korea Best for Political Sciences, International Relations and Humanities • Professor Ban Ki-moon Key Information Description University Ranking 5 th in Korea, 197 th in the World Type of Scholarship Fully Funded for undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph. D Eligible Countries All Developing Countries Scholarship Coverage Full tuition, monthly stipend, airplane tickets, language training fee, settlement allowance, medical insurance Scholarship Amount Tuition Fee Plus 1000 USD per Month Application Dates Undergraduate- October- November Graduates- March- April Website: https: //www. yonsei. ac. kr/en_sc/admission/graduate. jsp Application Procedures Both University Track and Embassy Track (Univ Website) Teaching Languages English

Korea University, Seoul (Ranked 198 th in the world for the 2019) • Korea University is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea and is well known for its economics, law, and political Science programs. • Best for Student of Public Administration and Political Science Program Acceptance Rate for Koreans Acceptance Rate for International Scholarship for International Students Undergraduate 1% 25% Fully Funded Graduate (MS) 10% 50% Fully Funded Post. Graduate(Ph. D) 1% 30% Fully Funded with additional Research Grants

KAIST (Undergraduate, Graduate, Postgraduate) • The large sums of funds from the Korean Government and global companies such as Samsung and Hyundai has made the KAIST as the leading University in Engineering and Technology. Key Information Description University Ranking 6 th in Korea, 295 th in the World Type of Scholarship Fully Funded for undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph. D Eligible Countries All Developing Countries Scholarship Coverage Full tuition, monthly stipend, airplane tickets, language training fee, settlement allowance, medical insurance Scholarship Amount Tuition Fee Plus 1000 USD per Month Application Dates Undergraduate- September 1 - October 25, November 1 - January 5 Graduate- August 23 - September 20, March 20 - April 12 Website: www. kaist. edu Application Procedures Both University Track and Embassy Track (Univ Website) Teaching Languages English

Hanyang University (Undergraduate, Graduate) • Hanyang University is located in Seoul, the capital of Korea. • Hanyang is the older name for Seoul which was used hundreds of years ago. • This university offers hundreds of majors for thousands of students that attend Hanyang University. • This excellent university has produced many successful alumni including the chairman of Hyundai Motors and CEO of Hyundai. • Offers approximately 100 million dollars each year in scholarships

Kyung Hee University (Undergraduate, Graduate) • Offers many Korean scholarships to international students. • This university has produced many successful alumni which includes the current Korean President, Moon Jae-In. • Also, it’s famous for its medical schools which combine the Oriental practices with Western practices • Fully funded scholarship

Summary • Identify the opportunity • Tell a compelling story and • Hit "apply!"

Further Information • Email at : inayat@ciit-attock. edu. pk v

THANK YOU! Questions/Answers