Wonil Kwon

Wonil Kwon works for the prestigious ETRI (Electronic and Telecommunication Research Institute) in Korea, best known for the commercialisation of CDMA - the new generation mobile phone technology. At one stage, Wonil had thought his English-speaking capability would not be important to his career unless his job directly related to international affairs. Now, he thinks differently and is grateful that he spent time studying in New Zealand and brushing up on his language skills.

"People respect you more if you have a good command of English, based on the professional skills in your field. At the start of my career, I had a choice of learning in the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. I chose New Zealand because my father (who got his PhD degree in Sydney) used to tell me that he had always wanted to visit New Zealand and thought it was the safest and least expensive country to study in. He was right.

The living conditions and quality of life are great. You can afford to have fun as well as study.

I so much enjoyed outdoor activities and playing sports in the excellent university gym. I cherish the memories of the university hostel, O'rake Hall, where I lived for three years, studying together with friends. I still miss the people I met there. If I wrote down all their names, this profile would be as thick as a book!

The courses offered by most universities in New Zealand are very flexible and you can choose what you like and change your course as your tastes and plans for the future change. After I graduated, majoring in Information Systems, I went on to do my Masters at ICU in Korea, and then an Executive course at Stanford University in the US. Now I want to do my PhD at Auckland University. What does that tell you about how much I like the New Zealand lifestyle?"