This September, Clara Wang ’17 will join 125 students from more than 40 countries at Yenching Academy in China. The prestigious Yenching Scholars program brings together talented students with an interest in exploring China’s role in the world through interdisciplinary coursework as well as fieldwork at Beijing’s Peking University.
At Dartmouth, Wang majored in government and analyzed news consumption in China for her senior thesis. She also studied Mandarin intensively, participating in an LSA+ program in Beijing and becoming fluent by the end of her sophomore year.
“I chose to study at Dartmouth specifically for its language teaching methods and study abroad opportunities,” says Wang, who also traveled to Beijing with a Princeton study abroad program and returned to intern with an NGO there during an off term her junior year. She learned of the Yenching Scholars program from fellow alumna Claire Groden ’14, a member of the program’s first cohort. Wang was drawn to the opportunity to study with students from around the globe.
Wang joins six other Dartmouth alumni who have received Yenching scholarships since the program’s inception in 2015.
“Through their immersion in the liberal arts at an institution that values international exchange, Dartmouth students have excellent preparation to be true citizens of the world,” says Assistant Dean of Faculty for Scholarship Advising Jessica Smolin, who helps students and alumni like Wang find and navigate exciting fellowship opportunities.
Wang will receive a full fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in China studies. She’ll complete interdisciplinary courses in the humanities and social sciences, plus field studies and research related to her chosen areas of interest.
The alumna plans to explore how technology is changing the world and how it can be leveraged for impactful policy initiatives. She also hopes to analyze global cooperation on technology policy. “I'll be in a country with some of the world's most advanced AI technology and highest levels of mobile technology adoption,” Wang enthuses. “This is just a generally interesting time to be studying international relations in China.”