Two Princeton natives are the recipients of the Schwarzman Scholarship, designed to help prepare young, future leaders.
Ryan Zhang, a current senior at Harvard University from the Princeton area, and Ilene E, a senior at Princeton University, are now Schwarzman Scholars, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships located at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
Zhang will graduate in 2021 from Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies and minors in Data Science and Chinese.
He has worked at the U.K. Foreign Office, the Congressional Research Service, and alongside Nobel-winning economists at MIT’s Poverty Action Lab, according to his biography posted on the Schwarzman website.
As chair of Harvard’s Public Policy Program, he authored research briefs for the U.S. Congress, the executive director of the Peace Corps, and UNAIDS.
Zhang is passionate about promoting economic opportunity among underprivileged communities and hopes to pursue a career in elected politics, according to the statement.
E is a senior at Princeton University majoring in computer science with minors in visual arts and applied math.
She has cultivated her technical interests by interning at Google and conducting computer graphics research with Princeton University and Pixar, according to her biography.
At Princeton, she directed the Student Design Agency into becoming a campus design community, and created animated films that have been screened at festivals across the U.S.
She aspires to combine her technical and creative skills into a career in animation, fostering responsible younger generations through socially conscious animated films, according to the statement.
In total, 154 Schwarzman Scholars were chosen from more than 3,600 applicants, and include students from 39 countries and 99 universities.
Scholars were selected through a rigorous application process designed to identify leadership potential, academic ability and strength of character, according to the statement. More than 400 candidates were invited to interview virtually in Beijing, London, New York or Singapore. Candidates from over 60 countries went before panels of CEOs, government officials, university presidents, journalists and non-profit executives, among others.
This year’s process marked the first time that a class of Schwarzman Scholars was selected entirely virtually, and both candidates and interviewers adapted seamlessly.
Once admitted, Scholars pursue a master’s degree in Global Affairs with a core curriculum focused on three pillars: leadership, China and global affairs. Each year, the academic program is refined to ensure alignment with current and future geopolitical priorities, according to the statement. Scholars are taught by leading international faculty, with frequent guest lectures from prominent global thought leaders.
Beyond the classroom, Scholars gain exceptional exposure to China and access to important relationships through internships, mentors, high-profile speakers, and world-renowned faculty members.
Scholars are also provided with a range of career development resources to help position them for success upon graduation, according to the statement.
Though students accepted for the fellowship will enroll at Schwarzman College in August 2021, it remains unclear whether they will study in Beijing. The program has operated online since the outbreak of COVID-19.