Kim receives Nikkei-Columbia scholarship

Nikkei and the Columbia University Journalism School in New York have awarded the annual Columbia-Nikkei Scholarship to Minju Kim, a 27-year-old data journalist from South Korea.

“My education at the Columbia Journalism School would not have been possible without the generous support from the Columbia-Nikkei scholarship,” said Kim, who is expected to graduate next year with a master’s degree in data journalism.

Before starting her studies at Columbia, Kim worked as a media editor for South Korea’s climate think tank Solutions for Our Climate, where she launched an interactive website highlighting the country’s public investment in the carbon-intensive oil and gas sector.

Her wide-ranging experience in media includes working as a producer for Arirang TV in South Korea covering the COVID-19 pandemic and other current news stories, and creating a mini documentary series for Twin Cities PBS in the U.S. featuring Somali artists in Minnesota.

“Through the Data Journalism program, I am already starting to utilize the extraordinary power of data to report on issues I deeply care about,” said Kim. “As a data journalist, I hope to continue reporting on climate and energy policies in Asia, making the issue more prominent and accessible to others.”

Kim is a graduate of Macalester College in the U.S., where she earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies and two minors in computer science and art history.

Established in 2017, the Columbia-Nikkei Scholarship awards $100,000 to an outstanding student residing in Asia who has an interest in data and business journalism.