Stanford students Truc Cam Nguyen and Bryan Monge Serrano, and recent alums Galen Jiang and Nesrine Mbarek are among 150 recipients of the 2025-26 Schwarzman Scholars award.
The program is a one-year, fully funded graduate fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in global affairs at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The selective program is also designed to prepare scholars to be future leaders who understand China's role in global affairs and will serve as a bridge between the country and the rest of the world.
Galen Jiang graduated from Stanford in 2024 with a master’s in aeronautics and astronautics. As a Schwarzman Scholar, she plans to deepen her understanding of China and explore how international collaboration can fuel innovation for the commercial aviation industry.
“This opportunity also enables me to cultivate meaningful relationships with leaders beyond the aviation sector, while strengthening my ability to advance cooperation between the U.S. and China,” she said.
Jiang aims to serve as a bridge between the two nations and aspires to a career ensuring that commercial aviation remains a force for good that connects people across cultures and fosters mutual understanding on a global scale.
Nesrine Mbarek graduated from Stanford in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in history. She is interested in a career transforming education by reforming curricula, pedagogy, finance, and assessment, while empowering teachers and building resilience to crises.
“Over the next two decades, my career trajectory will focus on refining my expertise and learning from nations like China, as well as engaging with networks such as the Schwarzman Scholars, to effectively address pressing educational challenges,” she said.
Mbarek said the Schwarzman Scholars program will provide valuable insights and connections that will help her drive meaningful change in public policy. She ultimately intends to implement her education and training in her home country of Tunisia and spearhead transformative changes in its education system.
Truc Cam Nguyen will graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in symbolic systems. As a Schwarzman Scholar, she intends to explore the intersection of technology, law, and social entrepreneurship.
Cam aims to study China’s advancements in tech policy and global leadership strategies, with a focus on leveraging innovation to combat human trafficking and systemic exploitation. After the program, she plans to attend law school, and ultimately hopes to practice law at the nexus of technology and justice, while creating scalable solutions for vulnerable communities worldwide.
“With my experience with social startups and as an advocate for change, I see the Schwarzman program as the ideal launchpad to redefine how social impact can be driven through tech-enabled legal frameworks and entrepreneurial innovation,” she said.
Bryan Monge Serrano is a senior majoring in data science and minoring in East Asian studies. As a Schwarzman Scholar, he intends to deepen his understanding of transnational development between China and other global regions.
“My lived experience with private development by Chinese companies in Flushing, New York, my hometown and a Chinatown in New York City, and seeing the Belt and Road Initiative’s work in El Salvador, my parents’ home country, and other regions have shown me the dual nature of such projects. They offer opportunities to bridge cultures and foster understanding, yet they also highlight the potential for economic tensions and worries of gentrification,” he said.
Monge Serrano said he is eager to learn more about China’s role on the global stage through coursework and collaboration with peers from diverse backgrounds. He said the Schwarzman Scholars program represents his first step toward a global career, connecting the U.S. and China with other regions of the world. Beyond gaining insights into international policy, development, and geopolitics, he also hopes to bring his technical background into the program and explore development in China’s tech sector.
For more information
Stanford students interested in overseas scholarships and Stanford faculty interested in nominating students for such awards should contact the Office of Global Scholarships of the Bechtel International Center, at globalscholarships@stanford.edu.