What is the Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University? - one of the top master programs in China
- 1. Overview of the Schwarzman Scholars
- 2. Benefits from the program
- 3. Scholars and the environment of the Schwarzman Scholars
- 4. Who would be good candidates for the program?
- 5. Conclusion
The Schwarzman Scholars is the program which receives more than 4000 applications from all over the world for 120-150 full-scholarship spots each year. Even though the program is not famous at all in Japan, if you are interested in China or Asia, that would be quite interesting and exciting for you. Although I belong to a rival program, the Yenching Academy of Peking University, I strongly recommend the Schwarzman Scholars as well!haha The application for the class of 2020 (starting at September 2019) is closing at September 27th 2018. That’s why I would like to write about the Schwarzman Scholars in this article.
★You wonder why study in China? If so, here is another article you can check out:
1. Overview of the Schwarzman Scholars
The Schwarzman Scholars is a full-scholarship master program designed to foster new generation of global leaders who can deal with new world politics and economy of 21st century. In 2016, it was founded as the Schwarzman College at the campus of Tsinghua University by the prominent American investor, Mr. Steven A Schwarzman, who also founded the Black Stone Group and currently serves as its Chairman and CEO. Classes are taught in English and scholars can receive master's degrees of Global Affairs in one year. Global Affairs could include various kind of topics, so the scholars also decide which areas to focus on in their researches. Three choices are given as following; Public Policy, Economics and Business, and International Studies.
The notable characteristic of this program (I believe) is that the program puts a great weight on “new world politics and economy of 21st century.” That is, in other words, a new world order appearing as China rises. In that new world, the program believes that “whether in politics, business or science, the success of future leaders around the world will depend upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends.” Therefore, the Schwarzman Scholars was created to generate next leaders equipped with the ability to achieve something in the new world. The founder of the program, Mr. Schwarzman, even argues that “In the 21st century China is core culliculamu” in order to emphasize the importance of China.
That’s why I recognize the Schwarzman Scholars is “a program for the world to understand China, from outside to inside.” In fact, foreign companies or businessmen, outsiders, donate huge amount of money to this program which is inside China (=from the world to China). Or, since it seems like the Schwarzman Scholars operates as a very western style program (ex. Ivy League universities) with invited excellent teachers from all over the world, you can also understand it as “a super top western university in China.” On the other hand, the Yenching Academy of the Peking University is more like “a program for China to invite the world to understand China, from inside to outside.” The program is also financially supported by insiders such as the Chinese government or China-related foundations (=from China to the world). Since Yenching Scholars can learn something more Chinese mainly from great Chinese teachers of the Peking University, the program can be also considered as “a super top Chinese university for the world.” This difference between the Schwarzman Scholars and the Yenching Academy is clear in their master’s degrees too; master degree in the Schwarzman Scholars is Global Affairs, but master degree in the Yenching Academy is China Studies.
However, both of the programs, the Yenching Academy and the Schwarzman Scholars, share similar missions to connect China with the world and connect the world with China in order to contribute to mutual understanding, prosperity, and peace. That’s why they also try to maintain the balance of scholars’ nationalities and intentionally make it very diverse (Chinese and American scholars are much more than other countries’ scholars because of their powerful influences). For instance, 142 Schwarzman Scholars in the class of 2019 are comprised of the people from 39 countries and 97 universities. And 41% is American, 20% is Chinese, and 39% is from the rest of the world. Well, the number of American students is quite big maybe because of strong influence of the US and so many donations from the US. It seems like the Schwarzman Scholars basically sticks with this ratio.
2. Benefits from the program
Various benefits which Schwarzman Scholars would enjoy are just like below:
2.1 Generous financial support
Money would be the biggest problem for many of those who hope to purse master’s degrees abroad. I have heard that it would cost you around $45,000~90,000USD for a year if you attended a graduate school in the US or the UK. Even though China is relatively cheaper to live and study, you would still need so much money. However, if you can get in the Schwarzman Scholars, you would enjoy very generous and comprehensive financial support through the full-scholarship. What you can receive is listed below (but not limited to these).
- Tuition Fees
- Room and board
- Meals inside the Schwarzman College
- 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 $4,000USD for personal expenses
(Source: https://www.schwarzmanscholars.org/admissions/scholarship-funding/)
Given these generous supports, it could be not impossible to spend none of your money to purse master’s degrees abroad!?
2.2 World-top-class education in China
The Tsinghua University where the Schwarzman Scholars is located at is ranked the 2nd best in Asian Universities Ranking and the 30th best in the World Universities Ranking (both by the Times Higher Education) while competing with the Peking University over the title of No.1 University in China. The current president of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, also graduated from the Tsinghua University. At that great school, the Schwarzman Scholars was formed especially with the American initiative by bringing outstanding scholars and faculties together. Although I feel the international reputation on master’s degrees from Chinese graduate schools is not that good yet, the Schwarzman Scholars which is pretty famous among China and Asia watchers would blow away that kind of concerns. Also, the program seems to put a great weight on leadership trainings.
2.3 Friendships and networks with various awesome people from all over the world
I don’t necessarily consider academically smart people or people from top western universities as “awesome people”, but I must admit that there are just many impressive people in the programs like the Schwarzman Scholars. They are just so impressive somehow in their respective fields such as politics, economy, society, science, and so on. It would be stimulus for your activities and goals to have such inspiring friends and you could help each other in the future through the networks you build. It could be also possible to foster good relationships with great teachers, guest speakers (ex. Former Secretary of State of the US, managing director of IMF, etc), advisors, and donors. You can be a part of the alumni community of the Schwarzman Scholars and the Tsinghua University as well after the graduation.
2.4 Understanding on China
At the Tsinghua University in Beijing, you can directly experience, learn, and understand the country which we have difficulty in understanding well, the country which is rapidly changing, the country where various things are impressive in various senses, but the country which is becoming more and more important in the world=China. By the way, the Schwarzman College is newly designed and built for the program and equipped with all the facilities such as scholars’ rooms, classrooms, library, cafeteria, gym, and lounge. That is why, I heard, scholars could feel too comfortable to go outside and just stay inside "the special zone" (of course this depends on each scholar though).haha However, since you are in China (if you are a scholar), it would be valuable and effective to experience something more local as well to deepen your understanding on China.
2.5 Master’s degrees in a year in China
People usually need 2~3 years to finish master’s programs in China . But, the Schwarzman Scholars allows you to take master’s decrees in a year while it’s in China.
2.6 Advantages to get a job in China or at the world-class companies
The Schwarzman Scholars would make it easier for you to find a job in China or at the world-class companies because, after the completion of the program, you can get master’s degrees in China, network with top Chinese/foreign companies, speak Chinese well somehow, gain
rich understanding on China, and receive Ivy league kind of good education. The Schwarzman Scholars itself is one of the most famous and prestigious master programs regarding China so that the degree from the program must be strength in building future careers.
3. Scholars and the environment of the Schwarzman Scholars
No wonder there are a variety of awesome scholars in the Schwarzman Scholars as they are selected from over 4000 applications from all over the world. One of the common things among many scholars seems like they graduated from top western universities with very good grades. Also/or, if they have working experiences, they would have worked for famous big companies, or not maybe would have founded something or achieved something outstanding.
As the Schwarzman Scholars is the elite master program in China, each scholar basically has “the goals related to China.” In achieving their goals while and after they are in China as Schwarzman Scholars, they would become entrepreneurs, politicians, researchers, government officers, professionals in international organizations, business people, and so on.
Well, I just suppose “awesome people” are challenging various interesting things there.haha
What I really love in the environment like the Schwarzman Scholars (same to the Yenching Academy of the Peking University) is that what usually can be perceived as “someone/something awesome” could exist as “someone/something normal.” This is because so many scholars are from “great universities”, worked/work for “great companies”, and organized/organize “great activities”, which set the standard in the program very high. This kind of environment could scare me somehow.haha At the same time, I believe if you had some sort of pretty ambitious goals and really aspired to achieve them, that environment would be so valuable and beneficial. I can also say that the program has the environment where you might feel kind of left out if not having goals/ambitions or not challenging anything and where you feel so motivated to challenge something too as other people do. In Japan, Japanese people who are active and challenging many things could be called “Ishiki-Takai-Kei (意識高い系=highy motivated people)” which includes negative impression, but this kind of shitty term wouldn’t exist in the programs like the Schwarzman Scholars and the Yenching Academy. Why? Because the scholars are all somehow “Ishiki-Takai-Kei=highly motivated people.” haha Or maybe the term “Ishiki-Hikui-Kei (意識低い系=not motivated people)” rather could exist?haha
Therefore, even though I am always impressed at many awesome scholars in the Schwarzman Scholars or the Yenching Academy such as the one who runs his own business, the one who are on TV, the one who writes articles for publication, the one who win great prize, and so one, I don’t really feel surprised anymore. The feeling is like “Oh, no wonder about that because that’s him/her.” This kind of environment could make it easier for you to purse your goals and ambitions to achieve?
4. Who would be good candidates for the program?
First of all, of course you have to have some sort of interests in China. And then, those listed below could match well with the program like the Schwarzman Scholars:
- Those who want to purse master’s degrees in China or foreign countries (but maybe no money)
- Those who want to be global leaders in their respective fields
- Those who have some sort of goals and ambitions to challenge and achieve
- Those who want to complete master’s degrees in a year
- Those who want to learn together with amazing people from all over the world
- Those who want to network with various people from all over the world
- Those who want to get world-class education
- Those who want to deepen their understanding on China
- Those who want to put themselves in challenging environment
- Those who want to challenge and achieve many things
5. Conclusion
As I am a Yenching Scholar, I’m not directly connected to the Schwarzman Scholars. I wrote this article just because I believe the program is super attractive to those who are interested in China! Everything is funded too!haha I actually want to promote the programs such as the Schwarzman Scholars and the Yenching Scholars to Japanese people as well since they are not famous at all in Japan yet. In fact, there were only two Japanese scholars in the Schwarzman Scholars so far... I hope more Japanese people to join these wonderful programs and purse their goals ahead.
In the next article, I will write about the information and tips I know about the application for the Schwarzman Scholars for those who want to apply for the program. It would be somehow helpful for you to prepare application materials as I have applied for the Schwarzman Scholars and asked some advice from the Schwarzman Scholar at that time. So if you are thinking to apply for the program, please check that out too and wish you the best with the appication!
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