NYU Shanghai Announces First Global Korea Scholar Award Recipient

NYU Shanghai alum Vittoria Vitucci ’20, a previous Fulbright grantee, has been awarded the Global Korea Scholarship, the first NYU Shanghai graduate to receive this honor.

Fully funded by the Korean government, the Global Korea Scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards offering international students the opportunity to study in undergraduate or graduate programs in South Korea. Vitucci will study in a two-year Master’s Program in International Studies (International Peace & Security) at Korea University from Fall 2024, preceded by a year of intensive Korean language training starting this September.

Improving her language skills has always been a personal goal, Vitucci said. Studying at one of Korea’s top universities, she said, will help her “gain a deeper understanding of both general international relations theory and the specific nuances of East Asian international relations.” Vitucci said she hopes that her experience as a Korea Scholar will further journey toward her dream career as a public diplomacy officer in the U.S. Foreign Service.

“After previously viewing these relationships through a US-China focused lens, I am greatly looking forward to adding additional perspectives to my understanding.”

Vitucci traveled to Korea after graduating from NYU Shanghai through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program, where she taught English for two years to over 700 high school students in the city of Gimhae. Besides developing a strong bond with her fellow teachers and students, Vitucci shared that the experience convinced her to continue to pursue her interests in public diplomacy, cross-culture exchanges, and international education. 

_{Vittoria Vitucci (far right) posing with her students in Korea after a Halloween-themed class in 2021}

Vitucci, who hails from Shirley, New York, in the United States, studied social science with a focus in international relations at NYU Shanghai. Her experiences in the Deans’ Service Scholars program, as a Resident Assistant, and as a Model UN Events Director in her first two years led to an internship in the Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State. In her senior year, Vitucci worked closely with NYU Shanghai’s Director of Global Awards, Anna Kendrick, on her Fulbright application.

_{Vittoria Vitucci (first row on the left) as an Orientation Ambassador at NYU Shanghai in 2019}

"It has been such a joy to watch Vittoria grow as a teacher, language-learner and diplomat over the years,” said Kendrick. “From her undergraduate dedication to teaching to her time as a Fulbrighter, from internships at the State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau while studying abroad in Washington, D.C. to this academic achievement in Korea, Vittoria’s dedication to international exchange, international affairs and East Asian studies represent the great strengths of the NYU Shanghai experience.”