Schwarzman Scholars Leadership Program in China

Published by sanja

Deadline: 27 September 2018
Open to: international students
Benefits: fully funded

Description

The Schwarzman Scholars Program for Future Leaders is now open. The scholar’s program is designed to identify the most promising young leaders from around the world to ensure that the next generation of business, political, and civil society leaders can effectively serve as bridges between China and the rest of the world. Anchored in an 11-month professional Master’s Degree in Global Affairs at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University, the Schwarzman Scholars experience encompasses unparalleled opportunities in and outside of the classroom, including extensive leadership training, a network of senior mentors, practical training/internships, and travel seminars around China.

Schwarzman Scholars will be selected on the basis of not only their academic aptitude and intellectual ability, but also their leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, ability to anticipate and act on emerging trends and opportunities, exemplary character, and desire to understand other cultures, perspectives and positions. All qualified candidates will have successfully completed their undergraduate degrees prior to enrollment and must be proficient in English.

Eligibility

  • Undergraduate degree or first degree from an accredited college or university or its equivalent. 
    Applicants who are currently enrolled in undergraduate degree programs must be on track to successfully complete all degree requirements by August 1, 2019 before orientation begins. There are no requirements for a specific field of undergraduate study; all fields are welcome.
  • Age Requirement
    Candidates must be at least 18 but not yet 29 years of age as of August 1, 2019.
  • English language proficiency. 
    Applicants must demonstrate strong English skills, as all teaching will be conducted in English. If the applicant’s native language is not English, official English proficiency test scores must be submitted with the application. This requirement is waived for applicants who graduated from an undergraduate/graduate institution where the primary language of instruction was English for at least two years of the applicant’s academic program;
  • Married applicants may apply and will be at no disadvantage in the application process;
  • There are no citizenship or nationality requirements. Academic excellence will be a requirement for successful applicant, but there is no minimum GPA or class rank required to apply. Applicants are expected to have demonstrated excellence in their academic studies, and the most competitive candidates will be among the top students in their graduating class.

**The deadline for applicants who hold passports and/or resident permits from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao, regardless of where they attended university or reside, has passed. **

Benefits

The students selected to become Schwarzman Scholars will receive a comprehensive scholarship. It will include:

  • Tuition Fees;
  • Room and board;
  • Travel to and from Beijing at the beginning and end of the academic year;
  • An in-country study tour;
  • Required course books and supplies;
  • Health insurance;
  • A stipend of USD 4,000 for personal expenses.

With a USD 450 million endowments, Schwarzman Scholars will be the single largest philanthropic effort ever undertaken in China by large international donors.

How to apply?

In order to apply, please register here.

Additional documents:

  • A complete and successfully submitted online application, including the requested personal statement(s) and supplementary components below;
  • Uploaded transcripts/academic records from every degree-granting college or university attended (undergraduate or graduate – must be combined into one PDF and then uploaded). If transcripts are not in English, official translations must be included;
  • Three electronic letters of recommendation.  At least one of these letters must come from a recommender who can comment on the specific examples of leadership described in the candidate’s application, but the recommender must at least be able to comment on the candidate’s leadership qualities from direct knowledge of the candidate. Recommendations must be translated to English by a professional translator if written in another language;
  • Video: Submission of a video is strongly recommended but not required.  The video can be up to one minute in length, and candidates are invited to introduce themselves in any style or setting they think best convey their interests and personality. Note: the file must be less than 20MB in order for you to upload it to the application;
  • Current resume/CV: Please submit a resume or c.v. appropriate for any application for employment in your country. This can be no longer than 2 pages.
  • Two Essays:
    • Essay One: Statement of Purpose and Leadership (750 words).  Feel free to write this as one continuous statement or to break it into short sections for each theme.  In either case, you must stay within the 750-word limit. Describe your professional interests and goals; how they have evolved over time, and how will the Schwarzman Scholars program and a deeper knowledge of China’s role in the world help advance your goals?  Based on your prior professional and personal experiences, how do you think you will contribute to the community of Schwarzman Scholars and to the program’s mission? Include specific situations in your professional, academic, or personal life when you have demonstrated the leadership qualities outlined below. Guidance on describing your leadership qualities and experience in the Statement of Purpose and Leadership: Candidates must describe specific examples of their leadership that (1) explore their intellectual/analytical abilities to understand challenges and opportunities, and envision solutions, (2) take initiative to act, (3) use strong interpersonal skills to inspire a team effort, and (4) push through resistance and/or challenges in reaching results. The applicant’s example(s) of leadership might address some but not all of these characteristics. Examples might include efforts such as founding a student or community organization that successfully addressed a pressing need; taking on a transformative role in an existing organization; founding and running a startup to take advantage of an emerging opportunity.  Candidates should NOT let these examples limit their thinking and should draw on their own personal experiences for similar examples of leadership.  The key is to help the committee understand the candidate’s leadership characteristics, not just to list titles and accomplishments. Candidates should avoid describing situations that might fall into one of the following categories, all of which are valuable learning and growth experiences, but do not give the committee a deeper understanding of the applicant’s leadership characteristics over extended periods of time: (1) accomplishing a difficult but typical task assigned in the workplace (2) solving brief problems of cultural miscommunication while traveling or studying overseas (3) simply winning office in a student or community organization (It is, however, helpful, to describe the challenges faced and accomplishments achieved in office.) (4) brief situational challenges (focus instead on longer term projects and challenges.)
    • Essay Two: Current Affairs Essay (up to 500 words): Choose an issue in contemporary social, international, business, environmental, diplomatic, arts, or other policy that is of interest to you. This essay should lay out the current factors and trends influencing the topic and make a realistic recommendation of how local, national, or international leaders should intervene to contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous future.

For more information, please visit the official web page.