Schwarzman Scholars: Shaping Future Global Leaders

The Schwarzman Scholars program, established in 2013 by Founding Trustee Stephen A. Schwarzman, stands as one of the world's most prestigious graduate fellowship programs. It aims to cultivate the next generation of global leaders by providing them with a profound understanding of China and fostering cross-cultural collaboration. This is achieved through a one-year, fully-funded master’s degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

A Highly Competitive Program

Each year, up to 200 candidates from around the world are selected to join a diverse cohort. The program seeks candidates with exceptional leadership qualities and the potential to foster cross-cultural understanding. The selection process is highly competitive, designed to identify individuals with leadership potential, intellect, and strength of character.

The program has consistently attracted a large number of applicants. For instance, the Class of 2025-26 was selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 candidates worldwide, marking the highest number of applications in the program's ten-year history. The admitted students come from diverse industries and backgrounds, including business, technology, science, politics, healthcare, and more.

Curriculum and Learning Experience

Starting in August, the Scholars engage in a dynamic graduate curriculum focused on the pillars of leadership, global affairs, and China. The students are taught by leading faculty from Tsinghua and other internationally recognized universities. They also attend lectures delivered by prominent global thought leaders.

The core curriculum centers on these three pillars, providing Scholars with the knowledge, skills, and firsthand experience needed to navigate the complexities of the evolving global landscape. Scholars gain unique exposure to China through mentoring, internships, and experiential learning. These experiences include travel and fieldwork across the country with professors. Each scholar is assigned mentors in their area of interest.

The Schwarzman Scholars Network

With each incoming class, the Schwarzman Scholars network expands, creating a global community of future leaders. The network now includes over 1,300 members from 104 countries and 459 institutions worldwide.

This network provides Scholars with valuable connections and opportunities for collaboration, enabling them to make a global impact. The program also nurtures the careers, lives, and passions of Scholars through a broad array of post-program endeavors.

A Vision for Global Understanding

Schwarzman Scholars was conceptualized by its founder, Stephen A. Schwarzman, in response to what he saw as growing tensions between the United States and China, largely due to China's economic growth. Schwarzman, who was on the advisory board of Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, was approached by then-university president Gu Binglin in the fall of 2010 with a concept for a "Global Scholars" program.

Schwarzman put forth six ideas that would "reduce friction" for the new program:

The college would need its own physical facility.
The program would need to be immersive, including travel and field work across the country with professors.
The program would assign mentors to each of the scholars in their area of interest.
There would be no cost to the scholars.
The program would only be one year instead of two or three years long.
The program would be taught in English.

Funding and Endowment

The Schwarzman Scholars program has a substantial endowment to support its operations and provide scholarships to its students. In 2014, when the program first launched its admissions process, Tsinghua's Schwarzman had already raised US$333 million for its endowment fund. Shortly after a third target of US$400 million, to be reached by the following year, was announced.

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The endowment reached $575 million. This financial stability ensures that the program can continue to attract top talent and provide them with a world-class educational experience.

Recruitment and Admissions

Schwarzman Scholars actively recruits talented individuals from around the world. In 2014, Schwarzman Scholars held four recruitment launch events in New York City, Singapore, London, and Washington, D.C.

The admissions process is rigorous, with candidates evaluated on their leadership potential, intellect, and strength of character. The program seeks individuals who are not only academically strong but also possess the qualities necessary to become effective global leaders.

Life at Schwarzman College

Admitted students live, dine, and study together in a close environment, similar to the collegiate system in some British Universities. This cohort system fosters a strong sense of community and encourages collaboration among Scholars.

The program provides Scholars with a range of resources and support services to help them succeed academically and professionally. These include career development resources, mentoring programs, and opportunities for networking with industry leaders.

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Notable Aspects of the Scholar Selection

The 151 Scholars of the class of 2024 were selected from 36 countries and 121 universities around the world. They included 57 American students.

Accomplishments of the Admitted Class

The admitted members of the tenth cohort have already accomplished so much. The accomplishments of the admitted class already are truly outstanding. Examples include:

Published authors, poets, and successful musicians
Founders of start-ups in education, cosmetics, health technology, transportation, block-chain technology, and manufacturing
Several students enrolled in graduate and professional degree programs

Undergraduate Institutions

The American students in this year’s class earned their undergraduate degrees from three dozen American institutions, including Ivy League colleges, public universities, HBCUs, small private colleges and military academies. More than one Schwarzman Scholar in the class of 2024 came from:

Naval Academy
Princeton
Stanford
MIT
University of Pennsylvania
Columbia
Dartmouth
Duke
Yale
the University of Tennessee

Career Development and Recruiting Opportunities

Schwarzman Scholars provides numerous career development opportunities. A key component of Scholars’ experiential learning experience is a half-day conference-style career event held at the College in the beginning of September. The program organizes students to visit companies throughout the year. If a visit to China for your recruiting team is not possible, consider recruiting students through virtual events from presentations to interviews. The program has conference rooms and classrooms available that allow organizations to host a video conference presentation.

Scholars can be accessed via recruiting presentations starting in January, 8 months prior to matriculation, with resumes available in April, 5 months prior to matriculation. This is an excellent time to build relationships with incoming Scholars.

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