POSTECH Supports Postechians’ Dream
POSTECH Supports Postechians’ Dream
  • Reporter Lee Ji-a
  • 승인 2014.09.25 20:10
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At POSTECH the excuse, “I had a big dream, but I had to give up due to financial difficulties,” does not work. Now there are many scholarship programs to support young people’s dreams. The Postech Times focused on what kind of scholarships graduate students are provided with to achieve their dreams as researchers. All students are given the Assistantship scholarship, while there are other scholarships that are given to further help students with their research such as the Presidential Fellowship and the Cheongam Graduate Fellowship.

Assistantship
One of the major scholarships is Assistantship, which all graduate Postechians receive. Unless the students receive a GPA lower than 3.3, they are given this scholarship. Students in their master’s degrees program receive a total of 1,130,500 KRW, which includes 704,500 KRW for admissions fees and 426,000 KRW for living per month. Students in their Ph.D. program receive a total of 1,381,500 KRW, which includes 704,500 KRW for admissions fees and 677,000 KRW per month.   

Presidential Fellowship
President Yongmin Kim created this scholarship to support students who research medical devices. He gathered 1.6 billion KRW in support, part of which was from his research fund from University of Washington for 30 years. President Kim said, “I want students to learn pioneering spirit, iron will and passion against fear of failure and this scholarship may help them to be creative scientists”.
Students have to submit a recommendation from a professor and their specific research report, including why and how the research is to be done, and its effect. After President Kim evaluates and selects undergraduate and graduate students, they receive $10,000 and $20,000 respectively for one year. The Postech Times interviewed the scholarship students, Jaeyong Jeong (ME M.S.-Ph.D. Integrated candidate), Wonjae Lee (CE Ph.D. candidate) and Hyeonjeong Lee (CE M.S. candidate) on how the scholarship is used. They have spent the money to supplement living expenses and to buy books related to the research. Furthermore, they could learn much more about research in a short period through constant self-motivation, and President Kim’s advice in various areas.
However, because this fellowship had a limited budget from the start, the last year that the scholarship to be given out is in 2015. Afterwards, with a similar purpose to the Presidential Fellowship, a new type of scholarship is to be in stimulation. It aims to foster an entrepreneurial spirit and promote venture to students. This scholarship will be given to students who have great business models for a biomedical device.

Cheongam Graduate Fellowship
This scholarship is given to up to 25 excellent M.S.- Ph.D. Integrated candidate students who are just admitted to POSTECH. Professors recommend talented students based on grades and various activities, including what the student researches and how it can be applied. If they decide that the student is suitable, the student receives 25,000,000 KRW per year for three years. Unfortunately, since 2013, no candidates were selected for this scholarship. The professors decided that students were not capable of using the scholarship wisely, so it is in discussion of whether to maintain the scholarship program or not.

In addition to the POSTECH funds, there are also many other scholarships from companies such as POSCO, KT&G, LG, SK, and the National Research Foundation of Korea.