Applying to Kwanjeong Foundation Scholarship

Jun 30, 2026

When I was applying for PhD programs, I also started looking for scholarships that could fund my research.

Unfortunately, only a limited number of scholarships are open to international students, so I also looked in my country of passport, South Korea. I found several that fund overseas PhD research:

• Ilju Academy and Culture Foundation ScholarshipOpens in a new tab
• Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies ScholarshipOpens in a new tab
• SBS Foundation ScholarshipOpens in a new tab
• Kwanjeong Foundation ScholarshipOpens in a new tab

However, since I received my high school diploma and bachelor’s degrees overseas, the Kwanjeong Foundation Scholarship was the only one I was eligible for.

The application process was time-consuming but fairly straightforward (feel free to contact me if you would like to see my statement of purpose—I’d recommend preparing for it in advance).

After passing the first and second round of reviews, the final round was an in-person 30-minute group interview, with multiple interviewers and multiple interviewees. The questions they asked were along these lines (the interview is conducted in Korean):

• A one-minute introduction.
• (How did your hear about us? Did you apply for other scholarships?)
• What is your major, and what is your subfield? Briefly explain your reserach topic.
• (Your subfield seems new. Does it exist in Korea?)
• (How does your research topic contribute/benefit Korea?)
• How is AI used in your research?
• Why did you choose this university (or this country?)
• What are your future career plans?
• What do you like to do in your free time?
• A 30-second outro.

I only prepared for one-minute introduction, and familiarized myself with the foundation’s historyOpens in a new tab. I think being honest, consistent, and concise is important in these interviews.