It all began with only a simple exploration on the search engine – “How to study in South Korea”, and who would have thought that it eventually led this ambitious young man to an enriching journey in the ‘land of kimchi’?
Like the other Korean pop (K-pop) fans, Muhd Naufal Omar, 24, had always been dreaming of furthering his studies in South Korea since high school, but deep down in his heart, he knew that it might be tough.
Having a passion for it, he took it to Google’s search engine – the swiftest and easiest way, to explore possible approaches to materialise the dream, which led him to the official website of Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL).
“I had put my version of the vision and mission, which is to study in South Korea since high school, and back then, it might have just been considered daydreaming. After the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) result, it did not take me long to ponder where I should further my studies.
“A simple search on the internet led me to the official website of UniKL and at the time, the university offered academic programmes that could be a route to studying in South Korea. Could not endure the wait, I sought advice from my mother and I was grateful as she gave me her blessing.
“Thereupon, I applied to two courses available at UniKL Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (UniKL MIIT) which were Pre-Korea Programme and Diploma in Multimedia (DIM). I eventually reached an agreement with my parents that I would pursue further studies in DIM,” Naufal remarked.
Aside from being known for its hands-on learning and entrepreneurship-instilled syllabus, UniKL also offers International Student Exchange Mobility (ISEM), which is a programme that allows students to experience one or two-semester studies at partner universities abroad.
With that in mind, Naufal aimed to be selected as one of the mobility programme students even before he began the first semester. ISEM sets a few requirements before selecting which candidates are eligible for the programme, and one of those is the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) result.
The programme will expose UniKL students to the best of international communities, cultures and practices beyond their boundaries.
It might be beginner’s luck at a glance. Naufal was among 10 out of 70 selected students to fly off to Semyung University for six months.
“After the ISEM, I travelled back to Malaysia for the graduation ceremony and that was the turning point for my bachelor’s degree studies in South Korea. As I said, it had always been my dream to further my studies there. No more waiting, I emailed one of the professors at Semyung University regarding the steps to embark on my bachelor’s degree studies at the university.
“It was not an easy journey as there were many procedures to be completed in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, before flying off to the country, the Covid-19 pandemic hit,” he told while adding that the crisis however did not stop his zeal from reaching the target.
He flew to South Korea in the first quarter of 2020. Cut to early this year, his blood, sweat and tears paid off as he is now a Bachelor of Graphic Design graduate from Semyung University with a CGPA result of 4.28 out of 4.5 and ranked 8th out of 65 students in the whole Design Department.
Not only that he showcased an entirely brand-new definition of success through such achievement, but the journey has moulded him to become a well-rounded and independent person.
“Thanks to ISEM, this programme provided me with eye-opening experiences that I could implement during my studies in South Korea. Without the mobility programme, I would say that my first semester of the bachelor programme would be more struggling.
“For those planning to study in South Korea, passion alone is insufficient, but should be in line with your interest in the academic programme you choose,” quipped him.
