News Releases

UWI Student Embarks on Korean Journey

For Release Upon Receipt - September 4, 2013

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad & Tobago – Two-time University of the West Indies (UWI) graduate Devika Cassandra Gooptar is one of the first two Trinidadians selected to be recipients of the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) 2013, to pursue a three-year PhD in North Korean studies, which began this month. Devika’s story is one of coincidence. She happened upon the KGSP one day in a random Google search for Korean scholarships. She contacted the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and was directed to The UWI’s Office of Institutional Advancement and Internationalisation, where her application was expedited a mere two days before the deadline.

The application and selection process of the KGSP in itself was a tripartite and rather lengthy procedure. Devika was first nominated for the scholarship by The UWI and then recommended as a candidate by the Embassy to the Korean National Institute for International Education (NIIED).  In the second selection round, the NIIED selected the most successful candidates from the pool of recommended applicants. Devika was one of them.

There are sixty NIIED-designated universities; however, applicants may apply for only three. Devika successfully gained admission to two universities. Korea University, one of the top three universities in South Korea, was understandably her university of choice to pursue a doctoral degree. However, one more challenge lies ahead, as all scholars must first pass a year-long Korean language course at a different institution in order to proceed.  

Devika’s multidisciplinary academic background paved the way for her interest, in her words, in the “rather unorthodox major of North Korean Studies”. At the age of just 25, she holds a BSc in Psychology and History (Hons) and an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Distinction) from The UWI, and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of London. While pursuing her MSc, two courses impacted heavily upon Devika, and ultimately her decision to research North Korea: ‘Political Terrorism and Violence’ and ‘Beyond Race and Racism: Conceptualisations of Difference’. Her grounding in Law and History also facilitated her exploration of the disparity between South Korea’s democracy and the North’s communist regime.  

Not surprisingly, Devika is fascinated by the Korean language and hopes to one day speak it fluently. She is intrigued by the modernity of South Korea’s culture and its ability to assimilate the contemporary with the traditional. She believes that the KGSP offers her an opportunity to grow both intellectually and socially. It is evident, therefore, that her remarkable accomplishments and an affinity for Korean culture and language both drove her to apply and be successfully selected as a KGSP recipient. 

The KSPG’s guidelines explain that, “the Korean Government scholarship program is designed to provide higher education in Korea for international students with the aim of promoting international exchange as well as mutual friendship amongst the participating countries.” Devika confirms the relevance of the KGSP to The UWI and Trinidad and Tobago, as having received this scholarship signifies the actualisation of the Memorandum of Understanding between The UWI and the Government of South Korea. In addition, the KGSP has the potential to further develop Caribbean-Asiatic educational and diplomatic relations, as well as boost cultural exchange between South Korea and T&T.  

Devika’s future career aspirations include working for the United Nations in the capacity of North Korean researcher and other areas relevant to her field of study. An equally important goal of hers is to lecture in Korean Studies or History. Devika expressed sadness at leaving family and friends behind for four years, but was at the same time both nervous and excited to embark upon a journey into the unknown. If her past is any benchmark, there is no doubt that she will continue to excel in all her endeavours, and represent the University and nation in the pursuit of academic excellence on an international scale.

 About The UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences. 

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.) 

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