Originally Posted: May 2018
Benjamin H. Chi, a biochemistry, health and society major, is SMU’s first Schwarzman Scholar. The Schwarzman program provides a one-year master’s degree in global affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing.
When SMU senior Benjamin Chi travelled to the city of Harbin in northern China for diabetes research in 2016, it signaled a major milestone in his growing passion for healthcare. Now a senior, he’s headed back to China after graduation for a master’s degree in global affairs from Tsingua University, courtesy a prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship.
The Schwarzman Scholars program is modeled on the Rhodes Scholarship, which was founded in 1902 to promote international understanding and peace. Schwarzman Scholars live in Beijing for a year of study and cultural immersion, attending lectures, traveling and developing a better understanding of China.
“There are so many issues coming to us in the next few decades, like the rise of diabetes and obesity and increasing health in the world,” Chi says. “What really interests me is the impact you can have in healthcare. You can really meaningfully impact peoples’ lives.” READ MORE