Visiting KDI School was once a
dream of mine, both before I came to Korea and before I fully learned what life
in Sejong City would feel like.
My journey with KDI School began in
mid-2022, when a friend encouraged me to apply. KDI School offers highly
selective scholarship opportunities for qualified candidates who are committed
to contributing to public policy development in their home countries. From that
moment on, my desire to study in Korea and at KDI in particular grew stronger.
To make this dream actionable, I
researched the admission requirements and applied for the Spring semester
intake in August 2022 to study public policy, specializing in Trade and
Industrial Policy. After submitting all required documents, including my personal
statement and research proposal, I progressed to the interview stage, the final
step in the selection process. Unfortunately, I did not receive an admission
offer at that time, because the admitted quota for Somali applicants was
limited.
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| With My Friend Mohamed Gabanow in front of the KDI school |
That experience, and my progress up to the final stage, motivated me to keep exploring new opportunities. I also pursued scholarship options while preparing for future applications. After receiving my admission results in early December 2022, my friends, Eng. Mohamud Shawul and Ustad Abshir Yonis encouraged me to persevere and pursue additional scholarships. Abshir advised me to apply for the GKS (Global Korea Scholarship), which typically opens in February each year. I successfully completed the GKS interview in 2023, and in 2025 I was fortunate to be selected as one of the candidates from Somalia.
The Korea Development Institute
(KDI) School is one of Korea’s leading think-tank-based institutions. The
researchers who established the school aimed to share their knowledge and
experience in policy development across multiple disciplines. KDI School supports
aspiring policy professionals with technical expertise and scholarship
opportunities, selected based on each candidate’s passion and plan to
contribute to public policy in their home country. With a research-based
approach, KDI School provides a supportive learning environment that helps
students thrive in the field of public policy.
Studying at KDI School has always
been my passion. In 2025, I arrived in South Korea to pursue my master’s in
international business at Ajou University under the GKS scholarship program
funded by the Korean government. Visiting KDI had long been on my “to-do” list.
On July 10, 2026, I finally made that dream a reality. I would like to thank my
friend, Mohamed Gabanow, who majors in Public Policy with a concentration in
Finance and Microeconomic Policy, for hosting me and giving me a campus tour of
KDI School. I also had the chance to explore the vibrant, self-governing city
of Sejong, where the school is located.
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| Standing in front of the Presidential Archive building at Sejong Lake Park |
Sejong City is named after King
Sejong, one of Korea’s most celebrated kings and the inventor of Hangul (한글). Compared with other places I
have visited, Sejong feels greener and more environmentally planned. While
biking with Mohamed in the afternoon, I experienced key features of the city,
including the Sejong Government Complex, the largest government complex in the
world, housing more than 15 ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Office.
I also visited the Presidential Archive located within Sejong Lake Park.
As the government plans to relocate
key agencies from overcrowded areas such as Seoul to emerging cities like
Sejong, Sejong’s strategic importance continues to grow. During my visit, I
also noticed the headquarters of KRIHS, another government-affiliated think
tank located near KDI School.
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| Inside KDI School Campus building |
Even though I did not gain
admission to KDI School at that time, the effort itself changed me. Pursuing
that pathway gave me the confidence to face challenges and the courage to keep
moving forward. Ultimately, I realized another dream: pursuing postgraduate
education in South Korea. Visiting KDI School and Sejong City gave me time to
reflect on my progress, and it reminded me of the history, meaning, and beauty
of Sejong City, the de facto administrative capital of South Korea.