NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Schwarzman Scholars today announced that long-time Kennedy School administrator Julian Chang has been appointed Associate Dean of Student Life. Inspired by the prestigious Rhodes scholarship, Schwarzman Scholars is designed to educate future world leaders about China. 200 elite students from around the world will spend a postgraduate year studying at Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China’s most prestigious academic institutions. As part of that experience, they will gain unrivaled exposure to China through mentorship opportunities, cultural immersion, extensive travel and access to distinguished visitors. Mr. Chang joins Schwarzman Scholars to develop and oversee these unique co-curricular elements of the program.
Stephen A. Schwarzman, the program’s founder, said, “Julian’s wealth of academic and administrative experience makes him an incredible asset as we continue to build out our team and develop this spectacular program. The extensive extracurricular programming is a core part of the program, giving students an unparalleled opportunity to learn first-hand about China, its people, culture, history and motivations.”
Chang joins Schwarzman Scholars from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, where he served as the Executive Director of the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia. During his tenure at the Kennedy School, Chang co-founded the annual “China Goes Global” conference and led an international team studying the investment activity of Chinese enterprises.
As Associate Dean of Student Life for Schwarzman Scholars, Chang will be based in Beijing, living and working at Schwarzman College, the academic and residential college being built for the program, which is inspired by the residential colleges at Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge. Chang will report jointly to the Executive Director of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Foundation in New York City and to the Schwarzman Scholars Dean, David Daokui Li. Chang will aid in the oversight, development, management, administration, and implementation of the full program, with a specific emphasis on and responsibility for programmatic elements and issues related to student life.
Julian Chang said, “I could not be more excited to join Schwarzman Scholars as we plan for this unprecedented student opportunity to gain knowledge of China and build relationships with talented and ambitious peers. I especially look forward to my work ahead with Dean Li and our partners at Tsinghua, whose crucial support in this endeavor cannot be overvalued.”
Prior to joining Harvard in 2001, Chang served as the Assistant Director of the Center for East Asian Studies and Deputy Director of the Asia Pacific Research Center at Stanford. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University and his B.A. from Yale University.
About Schwarzman Scholars:
Schwarzman Scholars 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 $200 million from private sources to endow the program in perpetuity. The endowment will support 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 will open in the fall of 2015, with the first class of students in residence by the summer of 2016. Learn more at www.schwarzmanscholars.org