Stephen A. Schwarzman, the Founding Trustee of Schwarzman Scholars, was recently featured in Fortune discussing the program and its continued evolution. The feature comes as Schwarzman Scholars celebrates its 10-year anniversary — a momentous occasion culminating in our Global Alumni Reunion. This event brought more than 1,000 alumni from all 10 cohorts, along with faculty, staff, donors, and other distinguished guests, to Beijing to reconnect, reflect, and celebrate the program’s first decade and the enduring partnership with Tsinghua University.
In the article, Schwarzman reflects on his vision for a global network of young leaders with a diverse range of experiences and expertise, noting, “Our goal is to choose the leaders of tomorrow, whether it’s in business, law, medicine, politics, nonprofits, or another field.”
The article also highlights the many ways Scholars engage with leaders and organizations across China. Through site visits, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities, Scholars have so many unique opportunities to create connections, learn about China, and gain new perspectives. Exploration extends beyond Beijing with Deep Dive trips that allow Scholars to immerse themselves in different regions and contexts across the country.
For Wassa Cisse (2024), her Deep Dive trip to Guilin offered firsthand insight into the implementation of green energy solutions across industries such as agriculture and manufacturing. Similarly, Sophia Lugo (2018) credits her Deep Dive trip to Shenzhen with leading to a coveted internship at BGI Group.
These on-the-ground experiences are key to giving Scholars the confidence to put themselves in new situations and challenge their thinking. As Jay Li (2017) says in the article, “Schwarzman Scholars gives you the mindset to be constantly challenging yourself and striving to change the world.”
Read more about Schwarzman Scholars’ decade of impact on Fortune.com.
You can also download an archived version of the full article in PDF form by clicking here.