NYU Shanghai alumni Maylee Sexton ’25 and Christina Bowlan ’22 have been named as Yenching Scholars, earning the opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree in China Studies at the Yenching Academy of Peking University. 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.
This September, the Yenching Academy will welcome 124 scholars — 96 international and 28 Chinese — from 37 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.
Maylee Sexton ’25 will pursue the Law & Society track at Yenching Academy. She graduated last year from NYU Shanghai with a major in Social Sciences with a concentration in Psychology and minors in Chinese and Humanities.
“I spent my entire undergraduate career doing research on child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention, specifically primary prevention, which involves providing resources and interventions to individuals at risk of offending before they offend,” she explained. Her research at Yenching will investigate how Chinese cultural values, legal definitions, and social structures influence child sexual abuse prevalence estimates, disclosure patterns, and trauma pathology compared to Western contexts.
Having spent time in China growing up and in university, Maylee said she is looking forward to returning for the program. “Having both Chinese language courses and China-focused coursework happening at the same time at Yenching, much like my experience at NYU Shanghai, is something I know will be incredibly enriching — not just personally, but for my research,” she said.
Psychology Professor Pekka Santtila said that Maylee is one of the most impressive students he has worked with over the years. “At the European Association of Psychology and Law conference in Lisbon two years ago, I watched her calmly compress a fifteen-minute presentation into five minutes after the schedule ran over, without losing clarity or confidence,” he recalled. “That moment captured what makes Maylee exceptional: intellectual flexibility and resilience. Her selection as a Yenching Scholar is richly deserved.”
Christina Bowllan ’22 will pursue the Economics and Management track at Yenching, with a particular interest in China’s digital economy, platform ecosystems, and the evolution of social commerce.
Christina spent time in China during high school, and after graduating from NYU Shanghai in 2022 with a major in Social Science concentrating in Political Science and a minor in Chinese, she joined Bytedance, working on their Lark enterprise collaboration super-app and TikTok Shop, where she works with creators to develop content strategies and connect with consumers.
“These experiences have given me insight into how Chinese technology companies adapt their products for global audiences, and have further strengthened my interest in studying China’s innovation ecosystem from both an academic and practical perspective,” she said. “Through my work at TikTok Shop, I have seen how differently online trust and consumer behavior can develop across cultural contexts, and I am excited to explore these questions more deeply through coursework and research.”
Provost Emerita and Affiliated Professor of History Joanna Waley-Cohen said Christina exemplifies many of the best qualities of NYU Shanghai students, including curiosity, deeply held convictions, and a commitment to bridging differences across cultures. “I am delighted that she is returning to China to attend Yenching Academy, and look forward to hearing more about how her experiences in the program lay the groundwork for her next steps,” she said.
Director of Global Awards and Clinical Associate Professor of Literature Anna Kendrick extended her congratulations to the two alumni. “As different as their questions and fields of expertise may be, Christina and Maylee bring something common to the Yenching Academy: a recognition of the need for greater complexity and nuance in their fields and the deep-seated conviction that knowledge must be sought with cross-cultural understanding,” she said. “Over the past years they have worked with outstanding mentors globally, made notable professional contributions and posed critical questions about the future of their fields. We are thrilled to welcome them back to China as Yenching Scholars, and look forward to following the contributions they make in years to come.”
Meet NYU Shanghai’s past Yenching Scholars: Sam Kominowski ’25, Gloria Tsang ’24, and William King ’24, Kathy Song ’22, Sarah Brooker ’21, Savannah Billman ’19, James Bromley ’18, Zoe Jordan ’18, and Amit Gal-Or ’18. For information and advice on applying for external scholarships and fellowships during or after your time at NYU Shanghai, contact the Global Awards & Fellowships office.