GKS/KGSP Master in Urban Environmental Planning - Statement of Purpose

Hello! I'm an architect from Colombia, and I'll apply to GKS-G 2021 on embassy track, and I hope you can help me improve my application!!

This draft is the second part of the SOP (Statement of Purpose), and it has the necessary length.

Goal of study and detailed Study Plan

The main goal of my Master's studies will be to learn about the resilience of Korean cities throughout time, in relation to their success in urban development of the territory. Also, I want to contribute to the state of the art of urbanism in Korea and the world. And later, I will propose appropriate plans to improve the urban development of Latin America, Colombia and Cartagena, with the creation of my thesis. Basing on this, the subject of my thesis will be to develop a methodology to create urban and environmental strategies for an appropriate sustainable development within underdeveloped-cities, according to the communities features, their relation with the territory and the climate change that the world is facing now and in the future; using Cartagena, or a Korean city, or both as a case of study and application for the thesis. In order to develop the research, it is important to achieve the following specific objectives:

·To learn and analyze the strategies that allowed the successful urban development of Korean cities throughout time (Kim, 2015), as well as other cases around the world (Mccormick, K., 2020), based on the understanding of related-theories I discovered from my research experience(Lerner, J., 2014; Bentley, I., 1985; Vieira, F., 2012; Beatley, T. and Wheeler, S., 2014), and other references that I will be discovering further on.

·To understand about the aspects that are necessary to conform an effective city in Korea and the world (housing, transportation, security, waste management, natural areas treatment, public space, health, etc.)

·To build a methodology based on the collected information that allows the process for the development of urban and environmental strategies (starting from the identification of the natural, social, cultural, and urban problematics that cause the underdevelopment of a city; to the selection, design, and application of the strategies in the chosen case of study).

·To develop urban and environmental strategies that seek for the sustainability and the appropriate use of the potential that the chosen case of study has, according to the situation of the world.

KEY WORDS: Sustainability, urban development, urban acupuncture, urban nature-based solutions, ecosystem, communities, governance, resilience.

To aim this research, I selected three possible universities that have important master's titles, courses and labs I consider that strongly match with the subject I am willing to develop throughout the necessary years to complete the program:

1.Sungkyunkwan University: Dep. of Architecture
Lab. of preference: SAID - Sustainable Architecture Integrated Design.
Topics: Urban resilience, climate adaptation & mitigation of climate change; climate responsive design (adapted environmental design for different basic conditions, climate zones and cultures in low-, middle- and high- income countries).

2.Hanyang University: Dep. of Urban Planning and Engineering
Lab of preference: Urban Design & Spatial Analysis Lab (UDSAL)
Topics: Urban design and street design, urban regeneration, climate change, urban planning, public health.
3.Dong-A University: Dep. of Urban Planning
Topics: Urban planning and design, urban renewal, theory of urban environment, urban population and sociology.

Furthermore, my studying plan for the Master's program will be carried out according to the following timeline:

First Semester (2022 - 02)
-1. Common and major courses; 2. Beginning of the Master's research; 3. Exams, reviews and corrections; 4. Home and Lab studies.
Second Semester (2023 - 01)
-1. Common and major courses; 2. Development of the Master's research topics; 3. Exams, reviews and corrections; 4. Home and Lab studies.
Third Semester (2023 - 02)
-1. Common and major courses; 2. Development of the Master's thesis; 3. Preliminary thesis results; 4. Exams, reviews and corrections; 5. Home and Lab studies.
Fourth Semester (2024 - 01)
-1. Common and major courses; 2. Conclusions and next steps of Master's thesis; 3. Thesis (dissertation); 4. Exams, reviews and corrections; 5. Home and Lab studies.
·Other important activities during the studies:critical research collaboration, collective reading, design practices, mapping, quantitative analyses, publications, fieldwork, conferences and seminars, and also participating in events, joining clubs and meeting different university people from various backgrounds.

REFERENCES: Kim In-hee (2015). 2030 Seoul Plan. The Seoul Institute. / Mccormick, K. (Ed.) (2020).Cities, Nature and Innovation: New Directions. Lund University. / Lerner, J. (2014). Urban Acupuncture. Island Press. / Bentley, I. (1985). Responsive environments. Routledge. / Vieira, F. (2012). The State of Latin American and Caribbean Cities 2012: Towards a New Urban Transition. Un-Habitat. / Beatley, T., Wheeler, S. (Ed.) (2014). The Sustainable Urban Development Reader. Routledge.

Thanks for your help!!

There is no need to list you references at any point in this presentation. While these are possibly reading materials that have influenced certain study decisions on your part, the originality of your goal of study is what matters. I understand why you would want to refer to the original sources of the inspiration for your study plan. However, your study plan represents a different end result from their own presentations so it would be better to create a general discussion reference. You need to be original in presentation. The inclusion of these other sources makes you seem like a copycat rather than someone with unique and updated goals for your study and how to achieve results for your research.

For each university you present, it will be helpful to present a possible title for your thesis that shows a relevance to the study topics you will be focusing on. That way it becomes clear to the reviewers that you know how your studies will benefit from the opportunities offered by each university.