Last week, Schwarzman Scholars hosted its admissions launch event in London to introduce the Schwarzman Scholars global recruitment program to university fellowship offices in the United Kingdom and in Europe. The event was hosted within London’s Tower Bridge, where Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Andrew Hamilton introduced the program’s founder, Stephen A. Schwarzman.
Vice-Chancellor Hamilton noted how fitting it was to hold this event so near Remembrance Day, which the United Kingdom observes in memory of those who died in the line of duty, given the important role that Schwarzman Scholars will play in leading the world to a more peaceful future. Schwarzman Scholars Dean David Daokui Li also spoke, noting that the gathering on Tower Bridge symbolized what Schwarzman Scholars, as future leaders, will accomplish: building bridges between China and the rest of the world.
Mr. Schwarzman’s presentation of his own vision for the program complemented these sentiments. “Being in London,” he said, “is particularly meaningful for us, as our program was directly inspired by the work of the Rhodes Scholarship to foster international cooperation since its establishment in 1902, a time of geopolitical uncertainty not unlike our own.” Mr. Schwarzman explained to the members of the academic community in attendance that the program was searching for students with “raw leadership potential,” defining leadership as “the ability to conceptualize, articulate and implement new approaches to existing conditions, with determination, energy, courage and adaptability to drive change despite obstacles.” Each element of the Schwarzman Scholars program, from first-hand experience of China and direct contact with Chinese leaders to deep relationships with a global cohort of their fellow Schwarzman Scholars will serve to create an influential, effective global network of leaders.
Applications open in April 2015, and the first cohort of Schwarzman Scholars will hit the ground running in Beijing in the summer of 2016. Their journey to build a more peaceful and prosperous world will last a lifetime.