University of Chicago fourth-year student Joe Zhang and alum Samuel Levy, AB’24, have been selected as 2026 Schwarzman Scholars.
Both students plan to attend Tsinghua University in Beijing later this year to pursue a year-long master’s program in global affairs. The Schwarzman Scholars program is designed to create a community of leaders with a broad understanding of China’s changing role in the world.
Joe Zhang
Being awarded the Schwarzman scholarship will serve as a homecoming for Zhang, who was born and raised in Beijing.
“Schwarzman represents a chance to deepen my understanding of international economic and legal frameworks while learning alongside peers whose experiences span entrepreneurship and public service,” said Zhang. “The program’s curriculum also offers specialized exposure to China’s role in global systems, which is a perspective that can be difficult to access.”
Zhang will complete his bachelor’s in economics in the spring. He aspires to a career in the legal field, with a specific focus on global organizations and cross-border work with institutions such as the World Bank Group and the International Centre for Settlement and Investment Disputes.
He feels UChicago prepared him well for his new opportunity thanks to the College’s “rigorous and deeply interdisciplinary approach,” pointing to participation in the UChicago Moot Court team as especially formative.
“The unique experience of competing in a wide range of international competitions, from investment arbitration to insolvency disputes, exposed me to legal reasoning in settings that closely mirror real-world dispute resolution,” Zhang said.
He acknowledged the mentorship and intellectual support he received from UChicago faculty and hopes to find that same kind of support system during his Schwarzman experience.
“I look forward to gaining firsthand exposure to how cross-border economic and legal matters are approached in Asia,” Zhang said. “I am truly excited to spend the year immersed in the professional and institutional ecosystem that this scholarship has to offer.”
Samuel Levy
College graduate and New Rochelle, New York, native Samuel Levy, AB’24, has been interested in international affairs since he began regularly reading the newspaper in the fifth grade.
This broad interest in the world’s happenings would eventually focus on East Asian affairs and led him to study in Taiwan through the Boren Scholarship and to graduate with degrees in political science and global studies.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled Levy’s chance to participate in the College's study abroad program in China, the Schwarzman Scholars program will let him put his studies and degrees into action there.
“For all this time I have been peering through the keyhole and now the door is finally open,” said Levy. “I am truly honored and excited to be part of the next cohort of Schwarzman scholars and to begin the program.”
With a career goal in foreign policy, Levy will gain deeper perspectives on how different political systems operate through Schwarzman Scholars.
“I believe this will be an unparalleled experience in building policy decision-making skills through its leadership-focused and network-based approach,” Levy explained. “I believe that Schwarzman Scholars will help me obtain the skills that will let me combine deep academic study and research in international relations to achieve tangible results as a decision-maker in the future.”
A speaker of Hebrew, he hopes to gain additional experience using Mandarin Chinese while also learning about the provinces of China.
“My perspective on Middle East and East Asian policy was greatly transformed and more nuanced after the years I spent living and studying abroad in those regions,” Levy said. “I expect to gain similar insights on China throughout my time with the program.”
Levy pointed to the Core curriculum when asked how UChicago prepared him to make the most of the Schwarzman scholarship, specifically how it has been vital to his “development as a thinker and how to engage on a deeper level.”
“UChicago provided me with my initial introductions to Chinese affairs and the Mandarin dialect of the Chinese language,” said Levy. “I know that Schwarzman Scholars and Tsinghua University also have an incredible network of faculty and I’m excited to learn from their perspectives while taking advantage of every opportunity possible during my year in Beijing.”
Zhang and Levy received interview preparation from the College’s Office of National Fellowships, which supports College students and alumni who apply for nationally competitive awards, such as the Schwarzman Scholars program. The National Fellowships team helps students identify and articulate how their unique talents and distinctive journeys prepare them to make a better world.
—Adapted from an article originally published on the UChicago College website.
