Sung-Jae Shin, a graduate of the Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University Korea, has been admitted to a master's program at Sciences Po in Paris. Shin was also accepted to Columbia University, a US Ivy League school, and to a master's program at George Washington University, which is located in the US capital and has produced a number of major political figures. However, he made the final decision to enroll at the Instituts d'etudes politiques de Paris (‘Sciences Po’), which ranks third worldwide in political science and international studies (QS Ranking).
Sciences Po is a top elite university in France that has produced the largest number of major political figures, including former presidents, prime ministers, ministers, lawmakers, and diplomats. France's current president, Emmanuel Macron, is also known to be a Sciences Po graduate.
Shin developed a keen eye for international conflict issues while growing up in the Middle East and became interested in George Mason University, which is a well-known university and ranked number one in conflict analysis and resolution studies in the US (Schools.com). He was admitted to George Mason University Korea after completing his military service. He emphasized two major factors that facilitated his admission to Sciences Po. First, he cited the excellent faculty and curriculum that helped him develop critical thinking skills. "It was easier to approach faculty and develop my abilities due to the small classes and professors who are highly influential in their respective fields," he said. "In particular, we were able to develop critical thinking skills through the professors’ teaching methods as they always question the international situation and lead us to conduct logical analysis without taking things as they are," he added.
He also believes that the numerous practical experiences he gained during his sixth and seventh semesters while visiting the US campus in Fairfax, Virginia, helped his admission to Sciences Po. In particular, he highlighted his invaluable experience of helping plan and execute an international security symposium in May last year, where professors from George Mason University's Schar School of Government and Policy were invited to Korea.
Shin added that he gained not only academic competence but also confidence about attaining his future dreams while planning and running the symposium. The symposium was attended by influential figures from Washington D.C., the world’s center of diplomacy and security, including a professor who served as an information consultant to former US President, Barack Obama, as well as a dean who continues to write policy-related columns for major US media outlets. Shin plans to pursue his dream of working at an international organization or non-profit through internship opportunities offered at international organizations during the third semester at Sciences Po. George Mason University Korea, established in 2014 at the Incheon Global Campus, has been producing graduates who have landed jobs at international organizations such as the United Nations, multinational corporations, and prestigious graduate schools around the world since its first graduating class in 2017.
Please check the original article posted on Chosun Daily here: https://bit.ly/2XLGk8Y
March 20, 2019
