Lukman Hakim Mohammed was one of the beneficiaries of government's job creation intervention NABCO. He joined NABCO in March 2019 following failure to secure a well-paying job after he completed his undergraduate degree course at the University of Development Studies (UDS) in 2016.

While serving as a Nutrition Officer with the Municipal Health Directorate at the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Health Directorate, Mr. Hakim did not give up on his search for a well-deserving job.

Though the search was tough, the ambitious young man did not give up and was fortunate to land something worth more than a job.

He shares his story on the Study Abroad Series with YouTube vlogger Selorm Helen.

Mr. Hakim says while hunting for a job, he decided to try his hands on some international applications to pursue further studies. Unfortunately, he could not get his dream job as wished but was fortunate to find something more valuable - a full scholarship to study his dream course in a world class university abroad.

He is pursuing his Master’s degree in Food Science & Engineering at Jiangnan University in China. The Jiangnan University located in Jiangsu Province is ranked number one worldwide in the field of Food Science & Engineering.

The road to securing the scholarship

A significant number of the youth in Ghana who are in pursuit of advanced academic qualification would like to travel abroad. However, many of us fail to secure admission into the school and programs of our choice. Another difficulty in schooling abroad is securing funding for fees and cost of living while studying outside home.

Mr. Hakim was able to get a Type B Chinese Government Scholarship which caters for his full tuition for the entire three years, travel and health insurance, monthly stipend, among others.

He details what he did right and further advised prospective applicants aiming to study in China.
According to him, the application procedure for Chinese universities is one of the easiest unlike the complicated process applicants go through when applying to academic institutions in other countries.

“Believe me, China application is very simple. The documents aren't anything you have to struggle to get. You need your valid passport, a passport picture of any background. You need two recommendation letters from your previous university or college, your certificate and transcripts. They have a standard medical report form which you'll have to complete. Some schools may however demand your bank statement but it's not necessary if you applying for scholarship. Some will require a police report,” Mr. Lukman outlined.

“Know what you want to do, where you want to go and why you want to go there. You need to know and understand the application procedure because most of the time people get scammed because we hardly read the instructions. We think we're too busy to read. Within one application, you're allowed to select three schools,” he advised

What you shouldn’t do

As an applicant for a Chinese Government scholarship, you are allowed to apply to three schools in a single application. To increase your chance of being offered a scholarship, avoid submitting the same proposal to all three choices. Be precise about what you want to do and have a clear goal in your study plan as well. Try to impress the selection board by stating why you are applying to the schools and the courses you chose.

Watch Lukman Hakim Mohammed detail his travel abroad experience: