Stipendium Hungaricum Motivation Letter - Master's in International Business & Economics

Hi everyone,

I need your help to review my motivation letter for Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, especially the flow of the letter which I'm not very confident about.

Would love to get your comments. Thank you!

Stipendium Hungaricum Motivation Letter

Dear Tempus Public Foundation,

While obtaining my Bachelor's degree in International Business and Management, I was intrigued by how emerging economies such as [Country Name] take part in the global value chain, but mostly only in the low-value-added activities. With the size of the population, it puzzles me that only a handful of [Country Name] businesses have attained a global scale. Having more local businesses going global is important given that the [Country Name] economy heavily relies on local consumer demand. When COVID-19 first hit, the economy was severely hurt as people spent less. I believe the key to resiliency is to leverage [country's] small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and facilitate their global expansion effort. With SMEs absorbing 97% of the nation's workforce and human capital development being one of the country's current priorities, this is the field I would like to contribute to.

During my undergraduate years, I helped organize XXXX Youth Forum, gathering students of different nationalities to discuss global issues from various viewpoints. Throughout my stint at [Company Name], I collaborated with the Diversity and Inclusion team to educate youth from underserved communities on financial and digital literacy so they have a chance at economic inclusion. In my current role, I help digital gig workers from emerging countries to increase their earning potential by discovering the knowledge gap to design a training program that improves their skills.

With my expertise in community building and people management, I aim to spearhead communities of SME players and facilitate their learning in international strategic growth and financing strategy. To realize this goal, I have started ideating with acquaintances who are well-connected in the SME industry. However, as my Bachelor's degree education was focused on the management of international business, I lack the expertise in the 'economic' aspect while learnings like world economy and capital flow movements are integral in ensuring strategic business growth. This is where a Master's program in International Business and Economy becomes essential.

With its renowned education system, high investment activities, and a strong GDP growth rate among EU countries, Hungary is the ideal environment to pursue the education. I am particularly interested in the program at [University A] as it offers specialization in International Development which covers the studies of emerging economies. It excites me knowing that I will have the chance to learn from thought leaders such as [Professor's Name] who leads research projects on emerging markets at the Institute of World Economics. On the other hand, the same program at [University B] includes International Marketing and Trade Policy subjects, wherein I wish to deepen my knowledge as they are crucial for practical business applications. The faculty's strong background in agribusiness study is another strong pull factor as it is closely related to my country's economic profile.

I believe that immersion in the local culture is a key role in ensuring an optimal learning experience in Hungary. With the advancement of technology, I am confident that I can prepare myself for the opportunity by learning the fundamental Hungarian language and researching ahead about the values held by Hungarian society. Reflecting on my experience promoting MyASEAN Internship (this will be mentioned in my CV), I still remember the feeling of being able to inspire [Country Name] Chamber of Commerce and Industry members to embrace international talent mobility concept through my story as a former participant. If granted this scholarship, not only will it help me launch community-based training programs for [Country Name] SMEs, but the quality of Hungarian education and values will also be reflected in my future career and network.

When you say "stint", do you mean as an intern? Or as a regular employee who participated in daily activities of the organization? There is a vagueness to this reference that could confuse the consortium reviewers. Please revise this section for specifics and clarity.


Is this the global development challenge you hope to address? You have not framed the discussion in that way so it does not come across clearly as referring to this specific prompt topic. Please do not infer, rather, be blunt when it comes to addressing the prompt topics. That way nothing gets misunderstood by the reader.

There is no reference as to how the studies will help you apply improvements to the market once you return to your country. Observing the problems as you did in the opening statement is not the same as explaining how you hope the studies will help you address the problems of your country upon your return. This should tie in with your career growth and global problem resolution.