Boran Cui ’22 grew up in Beijing and has dreamed of attending Tsinghua University, China’s top-ranked university, since high school. This dream is now coming true for Cui, who will attend Tsinghua University next year as a Schwarzman Scholar. Cui will be the second Trinity alum to be a Schwarzman Scholar, following in the footsteps of Albert Ananyan ’24, who is currently at Tsinghua’s Schwarzman College.
Schwarzman Scholars spend one year earning a fully funded master’s degree in global affairs. The incoming class of 2025-2026 consists of 150 scholars from 38 countries. Schwarzman received the highest number of applications ever this year, with the final class chosen from a pool of over 5,000 candidates.
Cui attended Trinity as an international student from China majoring in studio arts and engineering. Since graduating, he’s been using his skillset in a few different ways. He works full time in healthcare consulting and healthcare investment in Beijing, while also helping his friends with their entrepreneurial ventures in artificial intelligence and UI/UX design. He still finds time for art, working on photography projects in his free time.
Studio arts and engineering may not seem like the most common pairing, but Cui found the process of learning in the fields to be similar. “Both studio arts and engineering require you have a clear definition of something. You then try to figure out the best solution for the circumstances. Engineering is solving the problem that the teacher gives you, whereas in art, you’re solving the problem you bring up,” described Cui. Cui’s problem-solving skills serve him across his diverse professional and personal ventures.
Schwarzman Scholars looks for global leaders when developing their selectively chosen cohort. Cui admitted that he doesn’t think of himself as a typical leader who is always at the front of a project or team. “So, my strategy when applying to Schwarzman was to emphasize that I’m a person who loves to build a platform, and that platform can allow interesting things to happen,” said Cui.
Cui gave his time as president of The Mill at Trinity as a prime example. Cui was president of the cultural house right after COVID, when members of The Mill who remembered the organization pre-COVID had graduated or were on study away. He was faced with the task of sustaining and rebuilding the beloved music and arts community on campus. “In that year, the only thing I could do to help The Mill survive was to build a platform. I thought, ‘Who is familiar with music? Who has a band?’ I just needed to make sure there was the safe space.”
In addition to thinking creatively about what could happen in the space, Cui liaised with college administrators to make sure The Mill had the resources they needed to rebuild. “I wouldn’t specifically say I’m a leader, but I really love building a platform for others and making things happen,” Cui summarized.
Cui was motivated to apply to Schwarzman Scholars after working for a few years because he noticed himself feeling less connected to the world internationally. “I feel like I’m losing the international part of myself,” said Cui, “And Schwarzman is gathering global young leaders together in Beijing, so that’s pretty attractive to me.” Cui says the emphasis on travel around China is also an appealing aspect of the program, as is the chance to introduce new friends from around the world to his home city of Beijing.
As a Schwarzman Scholar, Cui is looking forward to having dedicated time to learn and explore again after several years of working. When he heads back to work after his year at Schwarzman, Cui sees himself staying involved in AI in healthcare, continuing to explore his work as an artist and photographer, and enjoying the process of working on entrepreneurial ventures with friends.
Current students or recent alumni (up to age 28, per Schwarzman’s admissions requirements) can learn more about the program at schwarzmanscholars.org or by reaching out to Gabby Nelson, [email protected], or Garth Myers, [email protected], at CUGS.
Header image: Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. Photo credit: Schwarzman Scholars
