Alumni Stories - Choonghwan Lee

Choonghwan’s journey from South Korea to Sheffield with NCUK

Choonghwan Lee
From South Korea
Completed NCUK International Foundation Year
Progressed to University of Sheffield, BEng Bioengineering

Why did you choose to study with NCUK?

Before I studied at IEN Institute, my cousin completed the NCUK Foundation qualification and progressed to the University of Leeds. As he introduced the programme to me, the idea of studying abroad seemed distant and unattainable for me, encountering a series of financial difficulties as a family. Climbing the social ladder through education appeared impossible and the thought of attending a prestigious university abroad seemed like an unreachable milestone. Consequently, my family’s determination to invest in my education through the foundation year was not an easy one, but it presented a last opportunity for me to prove my capabilities, resilience and perseverance. It offered a chance to rekindle my passion and pursue my future goals.

How has your NCUK experience helped you to get to where you are today?

I am proud of the accomplishments I have achieved during the foundation year. The progress I made was accompanied by a series of fortunate events, including receiving acceptances from all the prestigious universities I applied to, along with several scholarships. This experience helped restore my confidence and allowed me to take charge of my life, navigating through a sea of opportunities and aspirations. Throughout the NCUK qualification, I evolved into a proactive student, driving my peers to engage in discussions, solve problems collaboratively and instilling courage in them when they faced obstacles. With my challenging circumstances, I could have chosen to focus solely on my own success. However, I actively participated in challenging tasks at IEN Institute, working alongside my peers to thrive together as a group. Ultimately, I transformed into an individual who wholeheartedly embraced leadership and collaboration, working with a group to devise solutions that brought collective benefits.

What are your goals for the future?

Having successfully completed the NCUK qualification, I am now poised to take a significant step toward my future trajectory. My aspiration is to leverage my biomedical engineering degree to have a meaningful impact on society by creating a system that produces synthetic tissues and organs on an extensive scale. Many patients with end-stage organ failures do not receive the treatments they require. Thus, my ultimate goal is to make a substantial contribution to solving this problem by creating a system that produces macro-scale artificial tissues and organs that can be implanted into all patients in need, irrespective of financial position

Do you have any advice for future NCUK students?

The advice of making one’s own study notes by referring to recommended reading and the NCUK syllabus seems slightly obvious. I advise future NCUK students to look for resources that can aid in studying their chosen subjects actively, along with studying with textbooks and past papers used in NCUK centres.

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