For some scholarships, the Statement of
Purpose is “the single most important part of your application that will tell
the admissions committee who you are, what has influenced your career path so
far, your professional interests and where you plan to go from here”.
Below is the statement of purpose in my application for Erasmus
Mundus Global Studies Program. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Bac
Trong, Anh Tinh and Mr. John for your commenting on and proofreading of the
essay.
This sample post for for your reference only, not for being copied under any form without the author’s permission.
I live in a dramatically-globalizing world where brainpower has replaced manpower and natural resources as the key to development. I live in a country rich in traditions and culture but underdeveloped in economy, where many potentials have not been awakened. I live in a competitive environment where no excuse is available for ignorance, indecisiveness and sluggishness.
This realization has urged me into action to work out a master plan for my career development and greater contributions to the prosperity of my homeland. As a researcher at the Institute for International Relations (IIR), the country’s leading think-tank in the field of external affairs at the service of top Vietnamese leaders, and a future diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam (MOFA), I have set forth clear long-range goals to achieve. As a diplomat, I hope that someday I will have the honor to represent my beloved country abroad. As a researcher, my professional goal is to become a senior foreign policy researcher and adviser to Vietnam’s top leaders. The fact that Vietnam’s external relationships have been remarkably expanded over the last ten years gives rise to a more practical need of doing research on foreign policy and international relations. Against that background, Vietnam still lacks a pool of adept specialists with in-depth understanding of political science and international relations, and of strategists who are able to mastermind Vietnam’s foreign policy in the era of globalization.
Furthermore, in the Center for European and American Studies, I am assigned to deal with European Studies, especially European integration process. My duty involves in doing research works, making periodical academic reports and forecasts on the European Union and its relations with other countries, and thereby, directly and indirectly contributing to shaping Vietnam’s foreign policy and defining its reactions to any relevant development. Therefore, I am now in great need of enriching my knowledge of and obtaining a real image of Europe and its integration process. In addition, I really want to hear Europeans themselves talking about their aspiration in building a united Europe and its institutionalization. All of these produce the rationale behind my determination to hunt for a master’s program in a related study focus in an accredited European university. Thus, the Erasmus Mundus scholarship program has fallen into my contemplation.
After thoroughly studying the program, I am more confident that the MA Program Global Studies within the Erasmus Mundus Program is more than what I would expect. First, in terms of study focus, as I learnt from the instruction of the program’s coordinator and the website, the program takes globalization and global connections as a starting point to analyze different perspectives on and all aspects of the process and its implication. It goes without saying that globalization is an unavoidable process that is exerting greater and greater impacts on international relations, every nation’s development and every individual’s life. Hence, it needs to be studied exhaustively. However, I do hope that, through the program, I would touch upon European perspectives on globalization and globalizing effects on European integration. I also really want to find out the nature of the interactions between globalization and regional integration that is most clearly manifested in the EU model. Are these two processes contradictory or consistent?
Second, I am really fascinated by the way the program is organized. The Master’s program offered by a consortium of four accredited European universities (University of Leipzig, University of Vienna, University of Warsaw and London School of Economics and Political Sciences) would give me a precious chance to obtain a full image of a Europe as a whole. A Vietnamese proverb says that “a day’s travel brings you a basketful of wisdom”. Therefore, thanks to living in different cultures and studying at different learning environments, the program will enable me to learn more about European cultures, and thereby explore the outlooks of different member states, which represent different levels of development and geographical settings, on the global issues and the European integration. I would like to discover the factors which have driven the one-time fragmented Europe into a nearly single entity at present, and remedies which have been used to cure the past hostilities, especially that between Germany and France. In this respect, I would look into liberalism, constructivism and institutionalism as predominant theories that have laid the foundation for the European integration. The answers to these questions are very valuable for me to study the prospects of the East Asian Community, which is still in its initial stage of establishment.
Third, as part of the shared learning community, through a wide range of activities and courses offered within the program, I could build up a long-lasting professional relationship with European intellectual circles, which is of great importance to my career as a researcher of European Studies. These four leading institutions bring together numerous European leading scholars and excellent students, not only from Europe but also from all the corners of the world. So, making friendship and professional relations with these individuals is definitely a priority. From my perspective, these kinds of connection, within classes, between current students and alumni, among alumni, and between alumni and institutions serve as a very helpful channel for the exchange of viewpoints, knowledge and experience sharing, consultancy and cooperation in large-scale projects. Being part of this network will be very valuable to my future work.
Last but not least, this Erasmus Mundus Global Studies will give me a great chance to study in top-notch higher education institutions such as those in University of Leipzig, University of Vienna, University of Wroclaw and London School of Economics and Political Sciences. I am really fascinated by their world-class excellence in teaching and research. Knowledge is no doubt the most important but I do hope that, through this master’s course, I can acquire more than knowledge itself, but new approaches, new analytical and critical skills, and systematic thinking. The combined skills and knowledge I get from this course may evolve into my way of working and thinking, which can be brought into full play at work and have positive impacts on my students and colleagues. Further, learning in this stimulating educational environment at these universities will enable me to get an in-depth understanding and real experience of these open-minded, vibrant and multi-cultural societies. And ultimately, visiting Germany, the homeland of philosophy that has produced a large number of great thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, Hegel, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Martin Heidegger, and other European countries is my long time dream.
In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm that a Master’s degree in Global Studies from the Erasmus Mundus Program is an important stepping stone in my education and my career. I also realize that there is a long and bumpy road ahead that I need to travel before the goals I set can be achieved. But once I make up my mind, I have both determination and patience to accomplish my goals no matter how hard it may become. I strongly believe that I will overcome any obstacles through my brainpower, will power and a bit of luck. I am very much obliged to you if you will give me the privilege of pursuing this master’s program in your reputable schools. I am sure I am worth it.
(Length: 1210 words, 2 pages)
(Source: http://dothanhai.wordpress.com/2007/06/03/statement-of-purpose/)
