Yong Boon Lin, a Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) staff who is among the pioneer group of Master's degree graduates at UTAR added another feather to his academic cap when he received the Japanese Government's Monbukagakusho Scholarship to further his PhD studies in Japan. The scholarship is awarded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and covers all tuition, entrance and examination fees and monthly allowances.

Yong, who completed his MBA at UTAR, will spend one year at Kyoto University for Japanese language training and research studies before he proceeds to Doshisha University, Kyoto for his three-year PhD studies and research. He will be majoring in media, journalism and communications.

Yong first read about the scholarship during his undergraduate studies. He came to know more during his stint as a trainee journalist at a local English daily. "Then, when I was doing my Master's, my supervisor was a Monbukagakusho scholar who encouraged me to apply. The whole process took about one year. When I was finally offered the scholarship, the stringent screening process and the long wait were simply worth it," he said.

Yong also graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations from UTAR. Having been admitted to UTAR first as a student, and then as member of the staff, Yong felt that he has learnt and matured substantially during his time in the University. "UTAR has been a great place to cultivate confidence, personal development and critical thinking skills which lead to a consistent will for perfection. As UTAR always emphasises research and development, it is only right that individuals from both the academic and administrative departments contribute towards a higher level of professionalism. The teamwork, leadership and systematic problem solving skills that I developed here will be most beneficial in my PhD studies later," he said.

"I admit I'm both nervous and excited about going. This will be a whole new experience for me as Japan has its own culture and there will definitely be a culture shock. I am also nervous as I need to learn Japanese, so I hope the adaptation process doesn't take too long and will not suffer any setbacks especially those caused by the communication barrier," continued Yong.

Despite these minor reservations, Yong maintained a positive outlook and is looking forward to pursuing his PhD in the Land of the Rising Sun. With high hopes of being an academic once he has completed his doctorate, he knows that the Japanese exposure will undoubtedly widen his perspective pertaining not only to his academic pursuit but also to his views of the general society as a whole.

The award of this scholarship marked another milestone achieved by UTAR graduates. This recognition accorded by an international university is testimony of the quality of education at the University paving the way UTAR graduates to achieve similar accomplishments.

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Photo: Taking the next challenge in his stride, Yong is excited to pursue his doctorate