Mr. Eaknguon (Robert) CHEA
Master of Public Management
KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Republic of Korea
Mr. CHEA obtained his Master of Public Management in 2016 through a Global Ambassador Scholarship of KDI School of Public Policy and Management of Korea Development Institute (KDI) which is a prestigious global think tank in Asia. Prior to that, in 2014, he received a Bachelor of Law from English Language Based Bachelor of Law program (ELBBL), Royal University of Law and Economics. Meanwhile, he also obtained a Bachelor of Education from Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), Royal University of Phnom Penh. During his undergraduate, he completed two internships in Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers Section of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and in a Phnom Penh based law firm. Additionally, he attended and participated in a number of legal training and competitions organized by local and international institutions including Documentation Center of Cambodia, USAID, and International Committee of the Red Cross. He has been a youth ambassador representing Cambodia in several conferences and exchange programs in Thailand, Malaysia, and Republic of Korea and he has been an active youth engaging in many community service projects.
In respect to studying abroad, Mr. CHEA is keen to motivate our fellow students that: Studying abroad does not only provide us with knowledge and experiences in the field of expertise we choose, but also give us a great exposure to ourselves and the surrounding environment to which such exposure will become a crucial element in our future decision making process in study, career, and life at large. Winning scholarship abroad is a time-consuming task requires great self-determination and commitment. To begin with scholarship application and process, we shall spend times to clearly understand about the purpose of the scholarship provider or the school we are applying for. Study on sample writing and seeking advices from seniors who have succeeded in scholarship application is strongly recommended in order to assist us in writing and preparing the application efficiently. Scholarship application includes: application form, personal statement, study plan, school certificate, transcript, recommendation letter, volunteer work/community service certificate, English proficiency score (IELTS/TOEFL) etc. and the foregoing mentioned are all the important documents that scholarship provider will screen and consider whether to provide us with scholarship. For instance, personal statement/statement of interest is a crucial document to show scholarship provider of who we are, what we have been contributing to social development, what is our personal perspective and commitment toward education and development etc. Thus, to produce a good and impressive personal statement and writing it requires strong commitment and focus. We need to make sure that our writing is simple and clear and hit the point of the questions to impress the readers that we are exactly their target. For English proficiency score (IELTS/TOEFL), some scholarship do not require it; however, it is highly recommended that we should have one since it is a core indicator of our foreign language ability which is a very essential tool in studying and living abroad. For recommendation letter, it is not limited to only letter from our lecturer or boss, such letter can also be obtained from our senior or anyone whom we believe to have clearly known about us. I strongly recommend that before we submit the application, all the writing and documents shall be carefully reviewed to get rid of any unintentional mistake.
After submitting and passing the application as first round, applicant will be subjected to one or two interview through either phone call or Skype based upon the scholarship we are applying for. Interviewing requires preparation and practice on speaking to avoid nervousness which is a common problem to any candidate. Questions and writing in the application form, educational background, working experiences, general knowledge, and foreign language speaking ability etc. are some sort of common questions appeared during interview.
Please avoid thinking that unpaid volunteerism work is useless. Volunteerism work brings us to see the actual pictures of society, promotes the idea of sharing knowledge and experiences, and values every single minor accomplishment we have achieved. Engaging in community services is a strong evidence to prove the scholarship provider that we are a type of person who keen to contribute to society, embrace social value, and love the culture of sharing and this is the type of applicant whom the scholarship provider is searching for.
Currently, Mr. CHEA is working in a Cambodian law firm as a legal advisor. He adds that: the journey to success is utterly challenging yet possible. We shall set out a clear goal and do our best to accomplish any milestone to bring us closer to the goal and we shall defeat any negative view and obstacle that may affect our effort. Studying abroad transforms us into a new person with a winder global mindset_ a really essential element in contributing to an effective and efficient development.
