Schwarzman Scholars, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships, located at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Dec. 3 announced its fourth class of scholar recipients, which includes numerous Indian American students.

A total of 147 Schwarzman Scholars were selected from over 2,800 applicants. The Class of 2020 is comprised of students from 38 countries and 119 universities, with 40 percent originating from the United States, 20 percent from China and 40 percent from the rest of the world, according to the organization’s news release.

The Class of 2020 will enroll in August 2019, it said.

“Our newest class includes a diverse group of future leaders from around the world. They join a global network of Scholars who have committed themselves to being a force for change, regardless of where their professional or personal passions take them. My hope is that a year in Beijing will inspire and challenge these students in ways they haven’t even imagined. I look forward to seeing how this new class will leave its mark,” Stephen A. Schwarzman, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Blackstone, and chairman of Schwarzman Scholars, said in a statement.

Among the scholars named were Ankita Satpathy of the University of Virginia; Devshi Mehrotra of the University of Chicago; Himakeerth Tammineedi of Carnegie Mellon University; Kabir Gandhi of Harvard University; Kiran Sridhar of Stanford University; Neil Jain of Stanford University; Rebekah Ninan of Princeton University; Sangya Gyawali of the University of Pittsburgh; Swapnil Agrawal of the University of Georgia; Varun Sharma of the University of Virginia; and Viraj Patel of the U.S. Naval Academy.

The 147 Scholars were selected through a rigorous application process designed to evaluate academic ability, as well as leadership potential and strength of character. The selection process relied on readers from different regions and backgrounds who provided insights to identify the highest level of leadership and academic excellence across the world, the release said.

More than 400 semifinalists were invited to interview in either Beijing, Bangkok, London or New York, and went before panels of distinguished figures comprised of CEOs, former heads of state, university presidents, non-profit executives, journalists and other leaders from around the world, it said.

Schwarzman Scholars continues to innovate its curriculum and co-curricular activities, bringing in leading faculty from around the world and hosting prominent thought leaders. The program’s curriculum, which awards Scholars a master’s degree in global affairs, was crafted by talented academic leaders from some of the world’s most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Oxford and Tsinghua, the organization said.

In addition to a core curriculum, Scholars will pursue an individually designed concentration, drawing from Schwarzman Scholars courses in public policy, international studies, and economics and business, as well as from other departments at Tsinghua University.

Classes are taught by leading professors from Tsinghua and visiting faculty members from distinguished institutions around the world, it said.

Beyond the classroom, Scholars will gain exposure to China and a broad network of important relationships through unique internships, mentorship opportunities, high-profile speakers and opportunities to travel throughout China, the release added.

Scholars will also have access to career services support that will help prepare them to make the best of their time in Beijing and beyond. This combination of coursework and cultural immersion will provide students with a first-hand, in-depth understanding of China, critically important to leading in the 21st Century, according to the program.

All Scholars will study and reside at Schwarzman College, named by Architectural Digest as one of the nine Best New University Buildings in the World. The LEED Gold, state-of-the-art building at Tsinghua University was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Associates to encourage cross-cultural connections and intellectual exchange.

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