NEW YORK, NY, USA and BEIJING, CHINA, June 28, 2026 — Schwarzman Scholars celebrated the Commencement of its milestone tenth cohort, the Class of 2025–26. Held in the iconic Forum at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, the ceremony recognized 144 Scholars from 38 countries as they received their Master of Global Affairs degrees, surrounded by more than 350 family members, friends, faculty, and peers.
The celebration featured remarks from Commencement Speaker Graham Allison, renowned political scientist and the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard Kennedy School, and Schwarzman Scholars Founding Trustee Stephen A. Schwarzman. Professor Allison is widely known for popularizing the concept of the “Thucydides Trap” in contemporary political science.
The ceremony began with an opening address by Executive Dean and Master of Ceremonies, David Pan, followed by remarks from Dean of Schwarzman College Xue Lan, Executive Director of Schwarzman Scholars Amy Celico, and Tenth Cohort Student Speaker Galen Jiang.
Addressing the importance of U.S.-China relations and the responsibility of the next generation of global leaders, in his Commencement address Professor Allison challenged graduates to embrace a “Why not?” mindset – thinking boldly, questioning convention and using their Schwarzman Scholars experience to help solve the world’s most pressing challenges.
Schwarzman encouraged graduates to carry forward the program’s core values of seriousness of purpose, intellectual openness, ambition grounded in responsibility, and a commitment to fostering greater understanding between China and the wider world. As they begin the next chapter of their careers, he urged Scholars to stay connected to the global Schwarzman Scholars community, continue building bridges across cultures, and lead with integrity in all they do.
Congratulating the new graduates, Dean Xue reflected on the Cohort’s exceptional talent, curiosity, and strong sense of community. He encouraged the Scholars to approach differing perspectives with openness, reminding them that “leaders who seek understanding build bridges, while those who judge build barriers,” and emphasized that lasting leadership is built on the often invisible foundations of trust.
Executive Director Amy Celico congratulated the graduating class on becoming the tenth cohort of Schwarzman Scholars alumni and welcomed them into the program’s growing global community. Reflecting on the recent 10-Year Global Alumni Reunion, she encouraged the graduates to remain active participants in the alumni network, underscoring the enduring value of lifelong connections and emphasizing that “people-to-people exchange remains one of the most durable foundations for cooperation in a complicated world.”
Tenth Cohort Student Speaker Galen Jiang reflected on the Class’s shared journey over the past ten months, celebrating the resilience, creativity, and deep sense of community that defined the Cohort. Encouraging her classmates to embrace vulnerability and human connection as they begin the next chapter of their lives, she reminded them that “AI can make things more efficient, but humans are beautifully inefficient,” emphasizing that empathy, courage, and authentic relationships will remain their greatest strengths as leaders.
The Commencement ceremony marked not only the graduation of the tenth cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, but also a significant milestone in the program’s first decade. As Tsinghua University celebrates its 115th anniversary, the occasion underscored the enduring partnership between Schwarzman Scholars and Tsinghua in developing globally minded leaders equipped to strengthen understanding between China and the rest of the world.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026 as they join a global alumni community of more than 1,300 strong and help shape the next decade of Schwarzman Scholars.