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ºÚÁÏÉç Accepting Applications for Second Class of Scholars

April 15, 2016

New York & Beijing, April 15, 2016Ìý– ºÚÁÏÉç today announced that it is now accepting applications for its second class. The class of 2017-2018 will enroll in August 2017. ºÚÁÏÉç is a highly selective, one year Master’s degree program based at Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China’s top academic institutions. Inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship, ºÚÁÏÉç is designed to prepare the next generation of leaders for the geopolitical landscape of the 21stÌý°ä±ð²Ô³Ù³Ü°ù²â.

The scholarship is fully-funded for all participants, including travel costs and a modest personal stipend. This program is supported through many generous contributions to ºÚÁÏÉç and we are on track to reach a $450 million fundraising goal, a sum that will sustain the program in perpetuity. This unparalleled opportunity will be extended to 125 students, up from 111 in its first year, with 45% of scholars coming from the United States, 20% from China, and 35% from the rest of the world. The program is open to students and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 28 years old, regardless of nationality, who are proficient in English and have obtained an undergraduate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university. To learn more about application requirements, please click .

With the application now live, the rigorous selection process commences. In addition to evaluating applicants’ proven intellectual and academic ability, the admissions process is heavily focused on evaluating applicants’ leadership potential, strength of character, ability to anticipate and act on emerging trends and opportunities, and desire to understand other cultures, perspectives and positions. Those selected will have demonstrated their potential to not only benefit from but also contribute to the ºÚÁÏÉç program.

To evaluate candidates across a globally diverse applicant pool, the process relies on readers from many different regions and backgrounds who can provide insights to identify the highest level of leadership and academic excellence. More than 300 semi-finalists will be invited to an in-person regional interview in Beijing, Bangkok, London or New York, and will go before panels of distinguished figures comprised of CEOs, former heads of state, university presidents, non-profit executives, journalists and other leaders from around the world.

The program recently announced its inaugural class of 111 scholars set to arrive in Beijing in late August 2016. The first class was selected from over 3,000 applicants, making the program one of the most selective in the world with an acceptance rate of 3.7%. This first class is composed of students from 32 countries and 75 universities. Of the applicants offered admission into the inaugural class of Scholars, 95% accepted their offer, representing a higher yield than the most competitive U.S. business and law schools. Please click  to view the full list of ºÚÁÏÉç, and  for a list of the academic institutions attended by the scholars. To watch a short video highlighting the process of selecting the first class of ºÚÁÏÉç, please click .

Based at Tsinghua University, one of China’s most prestigious institutions of higher education with a 100 year history of strengthening ties between China and the rest of the world and a record of producing high-level leaders within China, the program’s academic curriculum was crafted by some of the most talented academic leaders from prestigious universities globally including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Oxford, and Tsinghua. In addition to a core curriculum, scholars will focus on one of three academic disciplines: public policy, economics and business, or international studies. The program has recruited a group of leading scholars from Tsinghua University as well as visiting scholars from leading institutions around the world.

Beyond the classroom, scholars will gain unrivaled exposure to China and a broader network of important relationships through prestigious internships, mentorship opportunities, distinguished speakers and extensive travel throughout China aligned with their academic concentrations and professional interests. Scholars will be provided with career services support, giving them access to the best career opportunities and global network both while in Beijing and after they graduate. This combination of coursework and real-life experience will provide students with the first-hand, in-depth understanding of China critically important to lead in the 21stÌý°ä±ð²Ô³Ù³Ü°ù²â.

All scholars will study and reside at Schwarzman College, a newly constructed state-of-the-art campus at Tsinghua University, designed to encourage close friendships, cross-cultural connections, and intellectual exchange. When completed, Schwarzman College will be the first academic building in China with both LEED Gold and China Green building Label 2-Star certification.

The application can be found on the ºÚÁÏÉç website, , and must be submitted by September 15, 2016. Finalists will be invited to interview in Bangkok (October 28th), London (November 2nd), or New York (November 7th) and will be notified of their acceptance in mid-November of 2016. For applicants who hold passports from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao, regardless of where they attended university, the appropriate application can be found on the and must be submitted by June 15, 2016. Those candidates will be invited to interview between July 6th and 9th and will be notified of acceptance before October 1, 2016.

Please click to watch an informational webinar with Rob Garris, Global Director of Admissions at ºÚÁÏÉç, and to read the ºÚÁÏÉç frequently asked admissions questions.

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ºÚÁÏÉç was inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship, which was founded in 1902 to promote international understanding and peace, and is designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. Blackstone Co-Founder Stephen A. Schwarzman personally contributed $100 million to the program and is leading a fundraising campaign to raise an additional $350 million from private sources to endow the program in perpetuity. The $450 million endowment will support up to 200 scholars annually from the U.S., China and around the world for a one-year Master’s Degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China’s most prestigious universities and an indispensable base for the country’s scientific and technological research. Scholars chosen for this highly selective program will live in Beijing for a year of study and cultural immersion, attending lectures, traveling, and developing a better understanding of China. Admissions opened in the fall of 2015, with the first class of students in residence in 2016. Learn more at  , like us on Facebook at  and follow us on Twitter at .

Media Contact:
Christine Anderson
(o) +1 646-313-6500
(m) +1 917-697-8795
pressroom@schwarzmanscholars.org

Admissions Contact:
Nina Ruben
(o) +1 212-314-8743
(m) +1 917-972-5668
info@schwarzmanscholars.org