Have Schwarzman scholarships helped change views on China?

2016 was a year of political upheaval: the UK voted to leave the European Union, Donald Trump defeated Hilary Clinton in his first presidential run, and Brazil and South Korea impeached their leaders.

Against this backdrop, the Schwarzman Scholars initiative was launched in China, promising a one-year fully funded master’s course in global affairs that could equip the next generation of leaders with the skills needed to respond to the geopolitical headwinds of the 21st century.

Ten years on, Schwarzman scholars face a different set of challenges compared with the inaugural cohort who arrived at Tsinghua University in 2016. The global order has fractured, wars rage in Europe and the Middle East, countries have edged toward more protectionist trade policies, and a race among nations to build digital sovereignty in the age of AI is well under way.

Despite all this, Xue Lan, the dean of Schwarzman College, told Times Higher Education that the core leadership qualities needed in today’s world “have not changed”.

“Leaders still need integrity, judgement, resilience, intercultural competence and the ability to bring people together around a common purpose.”

What is different, Xue argued, is “the speed and scale of disruption and change”.

“What scholars are facing today is a polycrisis, where the rapid rise of AI, the escalating effects of climate change and intensifying geopolitical rivalries are not separate issues but deeply intertwined forces that amplify each other.”

In the past 10 years, over 1,300 scholars from more than 100 countries have graduated from the programme, which was funded by American businessman Stephen Schwarzman.

According to Xue, application numbers at Schwarzman have “steadily risen” post-Covid, and he suggested that the appetite for the programme is because the scholarship is “not simply about adding another credential or graduate degree”.

“It was designed around the premise that the experience equips scholars with the perspective, relationships and judgement to navigate an increasingly complex world.”

The three main tenets of the master’s are global affairs, leadership and China, with a particular focus on the geopolitical relationship between China and the US.

In Xue’s view, the need for leaders who possess “a more nuanced understanding of China and its role in the world” has become more urgent since 2016 because China knowledge is useful for careers in business, finance, technology, government and public policy.

Twenty per cent of Schwarzman Scholars are Chinese citizens, and Xue said that the majority of them choose to work in China post-graduation. On average, five to 10 per cent of international scholars choose to stay in China for additional study or work, he added.

Xue said that “perhaps the most important lesson” that other educators could take from Schwarzman’s success is that “education still has the power to bring talented people from different countries, backgrounds, and viewpoints together” in a divided world.

“That mission is even more important today than it was 10 years ago.”

In this spirit, Schwarzman’s 10-year global alumni reunion brought together all 10 cohorts at Tsinghua. The event was particularly special for Shomy Chowdhury, graduate of the class of 2022 who undertook the master’s in a virtual capacity because Covid-19 restrictions had prevented travel from her native Bangladesh.

“Mine was a hybrid batch. Seventy per cent of our class did go to Beijing but 30 per cent could not go,” Chowdhury told Times Higher Education. “The majority of the class were already in Beijing, they were joining from the same hall or room, and then some of us were on our own Zoom windows.

“It was very overwhelming in the beginning…but what I really appreciated is that, even though there was a big chance that you could feel excluded [online], the programme staff really tried their best to design it in a way that it doesn’t feel that way.

“I remember they hosted some separate calls to get feedback from the remote students in terms of how things could be better.”

Chowdhury said that the greatest benefit of the programme is the alumni network that it offers.

“As an alumnus, now I really understand the value and the sense of community that you can feel from this programme. It is its biggest asset. I have one or two very close friends from every cohort pretty much, which is the beauty of this programme.”

Jesse Maikarfi graduated as part of the class of 2026 at Schwarzman, and he said that the programme painted “a clearer picture” of the trajectory that his career might take.

“We had industry mentors throughout the year, a lot of guests giving sessions…all of these things sort of helped to give a lot of clarity on what I want to do in the future.”

A Nigerian national, Maikarfi said that deepening his China expertise was a massive benefit.

“It gave me a different perspective of China: where they currently are, their history, and why they do some of the things they do.

“Before going to China, I’ve always just seen the world from what the West says…the programme helped me to see that there are so many different perspectives…I’m not saying all of that is right or wrong but I’m just saying it’s always good to see things differently...there are so many different ways to see global issues.”

rosalind.skillen@timeshighereducation.com