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Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Category: Features

Typically longer in length and relevancy than content in the news category. Features content is more likely to be republished over time.

UW alumna Sneha Indrajit selected as scholar for China’s Yenching Academy

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Photo of Sneja Indrajit in Suzzallo Library.

University of Washington alumna Sneha Indrajit, ’18, was recently selected for the competitive Yenching Academy Scholars program at Peking University. Indrajit earned her degree with honors in international studies and is one of approximately 125 scholars from around the world selected to be in their 2019-20 cohort. The opportunity to join the Yenching Academy is competitive. Only six scholars came from U.S. public universities in last year’s cohort, including two University of Washington alumni.

The Yenching Academy scholars participate in a customizable master’s program in China. In addition to covering the costs of tuition, the award includes round trip air travel from the student’s home country, housing on campus and living costs. Although Chinese language proficiency is not required and classes are taught in English, Indrajit is excited to speak in Mandarin, which she began learning at age six.The academy’s goal is to shape new generations of global citizens with a nuanced understanding of China. Indrajit will choose courses from six research areas, engage in field studies and conduct research that relates to her specific interest, international law.

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Originally from Singapore, Indrajit moved to the United States to attend the University of Washington in 2015. She returned home each summer to be with family and work, including at an internship for the MSC Law Corporation and as a facilitator for a performance art production at the Singapore International Festival of Arts.

As an undergraduate, Indrajit’s involvement in numerous academic clubs gave her valuable experience in the field of international law. She led a team of fellow Jackson School students to emerge in the top five out of 100 teams nationwide in the New York University Policy Case Competition, and was co-captain of the Mock Trial team, where she won the Outstanding Attorney Award at the regional championship. She also researched with the Rohingya Project last spring with a team of UW researchers, assisting in the creation of digital identification for the Rohingya people in Myanmar. As a stateless population, the Rohingya lack the identity documentation they need to set up bank accounts or participate in financial markets.

Outside of university sponsored programs, she conducted cybersecurity research as a fellow for the International Policy Institute, with a focus on the intersections between cybersecurity and human rights. Between her classes and experiencing different cultures, she grew interested in understanding the relationships between other countries, especially the United States, Singapore and China.

“To have that experience in the US, I thought it would be really interesting to see it from China’s perspective,” Indrajit said. “Just to be immersed in the culture is an invaluable opportunity, deepening my understanding of the language and deepening my understanding of how China positions itself in the world.”

At Peking University, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in law and society with the hopes that it will expose her to a greater understanding of China and its relations with other countries. Following her studies, Indrajit hopes to start a career in law and diplomacy in Singapore where she can positively impact and contribute to the community.

About the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards

The Yenching Academy application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards. The UW campus application process for students interested in Yenching Academy (and other scholarships supporting graduate studies around the world) will get started this spring for 2020-21 awards. Watch for updates about OMSFA’s Global Fellowships Prep program.

Academic Support Programs makes Rome its classroom

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This fall, 11 University of Washington students piloted a unique UW study abroad program during early fall start. With Rome as its classroom, the course explored questions of identity and immigration in post-colonial Italy and the U.S. This curriculum was designed to help students return to the UW with an even stronger set of skills, helping them succeed at the UW and beyond.

Debra Bragg to receive prestigious national award for her research

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Debra Bragg, director of the Community College Research Initiative

Debra Bragg, director of the University of Washington’s Community College Research Initiative (CCRI), will receive the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students’ (NISTS) most prestigious award: the Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Champion Award. This honor recognizes exceptional advocacy and leadership in the field of community college research. Bragg heads the CCRI team, whose research focuses on improving state and institutional transfer policies and practices. Her team conducts national research designed to understand the impact of high-performing transfer partnerships on baccalaureate graduation rates for underserved students.

Bragg used funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch the CCRI in 2016. She leads research on critical issues of equity and outcomes in community college education. Since starting the Center, the CCRI group has expanded its work to study a range of concerns impacting the graduation rates of diverse learners. Prior to coming to the UW, Bragg was a distinguished professor and director of the Office of Community College Research and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This award celebrates the entirety of Bragg’s work. She will receive her award, as well as present her current research, on February 13, 2019 at the NISTS conference. Read more about Bragg and her work here.

UW alum Henry Chan named Schwarzman Scholar

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Chan, On Man-675wUniversity of Washington alumnus Henry (On Man) Chan, ’14, is the first UW student or alum to receive the Schwarzman Scholarship. An extremely competitive scholarship, only 147 of the 2,887 candidates were selected to join this one-of-a kind program that focuses on developing the next generation of global leaders. Schwarzman Scholars will come from around the world to Tsinghua University in Beijing to immerse themselves in Chinese culture, business and language. At the end of the cross-cultural, year-long program, scholars will have developed an in-depth understanding of China and earned a master’s degree in global affairs.

Chan’s bachelor’s degree is in business administration, finance. He was working for Deloitte Consulting when he first learned about the Schwarzman Scholarship — from an in-flight documentary while on a business trip. The opportunity to get a broader understanding of China’s business policy, diplomacy and tech sector alongside similarly-motivated scholars really appealed to Chan. Inspired and intimidated, he knew he had to apply.

Four years out of school, Chan felt unsure of how to bundle his academic and professional experiences into a compelling package. He reached out to Robin Chang and Emily Smith at the UW’s Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards for guidance on how to craft a competitive application. He describes their work together as “invaluable.” Chan also talked about the program with everyone he could, which paid off. Through his network at Deloitte Consulting, he received an invitation to an admissions session with Global Director of Admissions Dr. Rob Garris — in Tokyo. There, Chan had the opportunity to have a one-on-one talk with the admissions director about preparing his application materials. “This was truly a chance to get to know Rob as a person, to get a sense of the program, and to share my own story,” explains Chan. “I felt his generosity with his time was indicative of the investment the program was willing to make to its scholars, confirming my interest in applying.”

Chan grew up in Hong Kong and came to the U.S. for high school and college. He was involved in a range of activities within and beyond UW’s Foster School of Business. He served as president of the Hong Kong Student Association, was business development lead for AIESEC — an international, student-run organization that builds cultural understanding through a paid internship program — and participated in Husky Traders as a shareholder. He also sang in UW Chamber Singers, which he credits with instilling in him respect for meticulous practice. As president of the Hong Kong Student Association, he learned to problem solve and work with people from different cultures. AIESEC and Husky Traders brought opportunities for Chan to apply his business skills. The culmination of these experiences helped Chan succeed in his Schwarzman application and current role as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting.

Moving forward, Chan wants to understand the impact technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation have on human work. He anticipates that China and the United States will be the world’s tech leaders. Through his work at Deloitte, he’s had a chance to spend time in Seattle and the Silicon Valley. Now, he’s eager to experience the nuances of China’s tech sector. He’s also anxious to learn more about politics and policy, disciplines which he believes will be deeply consequential in the future of human work. He’s confident that the Schwarzman Scholars program is the perfect program to build on his background and work toward his future goals.

Going to China is especially meaningful for Chan. It’s been 11 years since he first came to the States, and he is excited to be near his family. Chan will live in the dorms along with his classmates, where they will have the opportunity to learn from one another and build friendships. Additionally, Chan sees himself as serving as a bridge between the different cultures. “I can bring a professional and educational perspective from the U.S.,” he explains, “and I can bring a language and cultural lens having grown up in Hong Kong and being raised by a Chinese family.”

Interested in applying? Here are three tips from Henry:

  1. Have the courage to take a chance to do something. Someone told me these things are unpredictable. Don’t worry about the odds and just go for it.
  2. Don’t underestimate what the people around you can offer. Had I not mentioned my application to people, I wouldn’t have heard about the Japan visit with the admissions director.
  3. Thoughtful preparation does pay off. For me, that was a lot of practice before my interview. I focused on articulating my personal story and connecting it to why I wanted this scholarship. For you, it may be something else.

About the Schwarzman Scholars Program

Designed to inspire the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars is the most significant program of its kind since the Rhodes Trust was founded in 1902. The Schwarzman Scholars Program is in its third year as a new institution at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The program’s focus is global leadership and draws students from China, the U.S. and the rest of the world. Over the course of the year, students will spend a quarter immersed in language: Mandarin for non-Chinese students; English for Chinese students. They’ll complete an intensive field study, where they will spend a week in communities throughout China, working with mentors from NGOs, academics and government; receive mentorship from prominent Chinese leaders; attend talks from high-profile speakers; and complete a practical training project, where they take on consulting-style projects. Scholars also have access to career services support to help them make the best of their time in Beijing, and receive ongoing support in the form of alumni events. The Schwarzman Scholars program is dedicated to building a strong alumni network, so that their students can continue to learn from and support one another.

The Schwarzman Scholarship application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.