NYU Shanghai has set a new record this year with an unprecedented number of students receiving the prestigious Yenching Scholarship. Sam Kominowski ’25, Gloria Tsang ’24, and William King ’24 have been named Yenching Scholars for Fall 2025, earning the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary graduate studies at the Yenching Academy of Peking University. Global Writing and Speaking Fellow Jonah Dunch was also admitted to the program.
This September, the Yenching Academy of Peking University will welcome 114 scholars -- 83 international and 31 Chinese -- from 40 countries and regions into its interdisciplinary Master’s in China Studies. Through coursework, research, and fieldwork, students will explore China’s development and global role. Founded in 2014, Yenching Academy is one of China’s most competitive and internationally recognized graduate programs, fostering cross-cultural perspectives on China’s past, present, and future.
Sam Kominowski ’25, a Business and Finance and Global China Studies double major with a minor in Chinese from San Francisco, will focus on the Economics and Management track at Yenching Academy (YCA). Currently completing two senior theses, one on China’s rare earth elements, the other on RMB internationalization, Sam said he appreciates the interdisciplinary nature of YCA. “Yenching will give me the freedom to continue meaningful cross-field research,” he said. Meanwhile he plans to get involved in sports, playing on YCA’s badminton team and joining the campus golf association.
“NYU Shanghai taught me to build a life abroad, not just study abroad,” a mindset he sees as essential at PKU. Finally, Sam said he is grateful to Associate Professor of Practice in Political Science Ivan Rasmussen for helping him prepare for the in-depth interview that gained his admission to the Yenching Academy.
Gloria Tsang ’24, a Social Sciences major with a concentration in International Relations and a Chinese Language minor, will pursue the Politics and International Relations track. Raised in New York City with roots in Hong Kong, she will research China’s evolving relations with the Middle East and United States, focusing on understudied Chinese-Arab historical interactions.
Despite spending only two semesters on campus due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Gloria maximized her NYU Shanghai experience through ethnographic research and internships across China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Her professional portfolio globally spans financial technology, sustainability, and education. “NYU Shanghai trained me to thrive in the 'in-between' of regions, cultures, and even careers,” she said. This mindset drove her to launch the Sino-Gulf Youth Network after graduation, a platform empowering youth to bridge China and the GCC through professional and cultural exchange.
“This goes beyond personal achievement,” Gloria said of receiving the scholarship. “It’s validation that now more than ever, we need interdisciplinary scholars who understand the human stories behind geopolitics.”
Clinical Associate Professor of Literature and Director of Global Awards Anna Kendrick congratulated the scholars. “Each of NYU Shanghai’s outstanding cohort of Yenching Scholars brings a unique angle to their global study of China,” she said. “Gloria’s long-term commitment to educational work in New York City and visionary founding of the Sino-Gulf Youth Network work show a keen focus on creating equitable opportunity globally. Sam’s business experience, entrepreneurship and US-China interests come together in a key moment of geopolitical urgency. Each of our scholars’ success is a testament not only to their deep engagement with China and the world, but their wide-ranging, authentic interest in the communities and people around them.”