Anna Pak, recipient of the 2009 QS Scholarship for Innovation, explains how the US$10,000 award will help her pursue her dream of studying law in the UK.
The competition for scholarships can be intense, with many excellent applicants being unsuccessful every year.
But for the lucky few, receiving a scholarship can be a life-changing experience. The winner of the 2009 QS Scholarship for Innovation certainly believes that the US$10,000 she has been awarded will make a difference.
Platform for personal development
A law graduate from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Germany, Anna Pak was awarded the scholarship after fierce international competition among the 63,000 students that attended one of the 48 QS World Grad School Tour events held in 2009. She now intends to continue her studies in the UK.
"Experiencing the culture of the country first hand will offer a different platform for personal development and deepen my knowledge of the law," she says.
Anna (25) qualified for the scholarship after attending the QS World Grad School Tour in Frankfurt, where she had the opportunity to meet representatives from a selection of the world's top universities and grad schools.
Recalling her experience, Anna believes that the opportunity to meet universities face-to-face is invaluable in deciding where to study internationally.
"The universities there were very professional and I was able to get my general questions answered. The atmosphere at the fair was also very friendly and it was a good way to get in touch with other future master's students."
She adds, "One of the other aspects of attending an event like this is perhaps less expected - an education fair is also a good way to get in touch with other future students of the same study program and start to build a network very easily in advance."
Anna, who will use her scholarship to study the LLM program at King's College London, chose the master's degree there for understandable reasons. "King's has a worldwide excellent reputation as a school of law, and is known for outstanding teaching."
But, like many other international students heading to a new country, Anna also considered other important factors. "The city of London is beyond comparison in regard to lifestyle and cultural diversity on the one hand and its significant history on the other."
While prospective international students often apply to the same scholarship scheme for a number of years without luck, Anna's success with the QS award was on her first application.
Stand-out application
Peter MacDonald, director of the QS World Grad School Tour, believes this was the result of her unique background and excellent academic record.
"Anna's application stood out from the other candidates this year through a combination of excellent university grades, good and very relevant work experience and an eagerness to make the most of her international LLM studies in her career hopes. We are delighted the scholarship has gone to such a worthy student."
Anna, currently an intern at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, spent a year researching what and where she would study for her international master's program. Her reasons for studying abroad were threefold.
"First, I wanted to have the chance to deepen my knowledge of international law. Second, I wanted to be able to experience a different culture first hand, and third, the opportunity to meet different people from all over the globe and exchange ideas and experiences with my fellow students is something not to be missed."
She hopes her period of international graduate study will support her ambitions to become a legal professional in the future.
"I envisage my future in an international organization, so I need to deepen my knowledge of international law through the LLM. During my current internship at the NATO headquarters I have realized that hands-on experience is very helpful and enriching. For me, an LLM in international legal studies is a must for someone who seeks a career in an international context."
Like so many international students preparing to start their programs in another country, Anna is excited about what the future might hold for her. The QS Scholarship for Innovation will support her through the one-year LLM in London and hopefully onto a successful and fulfilling career.
"I certainly look forward to applying the knowledge gained from my studies in a legal framework in an international organization. I am eager to participate in the promotion of security and peace, economic development and human rights all around the world.
"I would be very honoured and delighted if I could help to develop friendly relations among nations and make a contribution to social progress in the global community."
