Yale-NUS student named Yenching Scholar

With a deep-rooted interest in China that can be traced back to his time as a student at Hwa Chong Institution, Yale-NUS College alumnus Tan Hong Kai (Class of 2022) is the proud recipient of the prestigious Yenching Scholarship this year. The Yenching Scholarship is one of the most selective and competitive international scholarships in the world, annually awarded to about 120 outstanding young scholars and future leaders who have demonstrated a talent for leadership and innovation with an acceptance rate of just two per cent. Hong Kai will be pursuing his Master’s degree in China Studies with a concentration in Economics and Management at the Yenching Academy of Peking University.

“The Yenching Scholarship provides me with the invaluable opportunity to delve into various diverse fields of inquiry, interact with the many accomplished faculty members and exceptionally talented Yenching Scholars at the Academy, and critically and constructively engage with intricate theoretical ideas and empirical phenomena. I am certain that this opportunity will endow me with extensive knowledge and critical skillsets to understand China from China’s perspective, enlighten me with broad global perspectives on a range of complex and compelling affairs, and enable me to present a more comprehensive, holistic, and nuanced analysis of different issues and viewpoints,” Hong Kai shared.

In addition to being named a Yenching Scholar, Hong Kai also graduated summa cum laude and was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal by the National University of Singapore for being the top student from the Yale-NUS Class of 2022, representing the Bachelor of Arts with Honours programme. Hong Kai is also the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Capstone Project in Philosophy, Politics and Economics award.

Tan Hong Kai (Class of 2022). Image provided by Hong Kai.

At Yale-NUS, Hong Kai was guided by nurturing faculty members who inspired him to “explore interplays and connections across different disciplines, approach issues through a variety of perspectives, and interrogate longstanding assumptions and preconceived notions.” As a Yenching Scholar, he looks forward to a similarly illuminating and invigorating learning journey in China.

“If you study contemporary issues in a social scientific manner – you perform good social science, employ sound research methodologies, draw conclusions in an objective and rational way, and not engage in hypothetical speculation, you will realise that some of the narratives that are being told and popularised may in fact be unfounded, distorted, or reductively sensationalised,” Hong Kai highlighted. “These experiences showed me the importance of being a critical thinker – to ferret out actual realities, to dare to think and question, and to be willing and able to debate existing paradigms with reason, logic, and evidence.”

Having interacted with Hong Kai in a number of Classical Chinese courses, Tan Chin Tuan Professor of Chinese Studies Scott Cook believes that Hong Kai’s enthusiasm and diligence made him an obvious choice for the Yenching Scholarship. This motivated Professor Cook to recommend him for the scholarship. “Hong Kai’s interdisciplinary breadth and uniform excellence in Chinese studies is impressive, and I am certain these must have been key factors in capturing the interest of the selection committee,” said Professor Cook.

A driven, open-minded, and humble individual, Hong Kai was also actively involved as a student leader in numerous student organisations, including as President of the Yale-NUS Emerging Markets Institute, Policy Centre Head in Roosevelt Institute @ Yale-NUS, as well as Secretary and Class of 2022 Representative on the Yale-NUS Student Government. In particular, Hong Kai is especially proud of the contributions he made as founding President of the Emerging Markets Institute. Having assumed the mantle when he was only a freshman, Hong Kai did not let his limited experience prevent him from successfully steering the direction and growth of the organisation and introducing new and innovative programmes, such as leading delegations to the World Bank, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council Secretariat, engaging in dialogues and discussions with experienced leaders, and spearheading a host of talks with distinguished speakers.

Outside of school, Hong Kai has also been recognised as a Youth Corps Leader by Singapore’s National Youth Council. Driven by his love for interacting with and teaching children as well as his keen interest in a child’s education, he has taken up numerous volunteering roles with child development programmes and organisations, and dedicated himself to supporting the needs and well-being of underprivileged children in Singapore.

Coupled with his growth at Yale-NUS, Hong Kai believes that the programme at Yenching Academy will prove most beneficial to his future career. As a Singapore Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholar, he will be embarking on a career in the Singapore Public Service after the completion of his studies. On what he hopes to achieve in the public service, Hong Kai has a clear-sighted goal of leading and contributing to the country’s future economic strategies, the strengthening of regional cooperation in ASEAN, and the deepening of Singapore’s and ASEAN’s relations with external partners.

“Mutual understanding, constructive dialogue, and international cooperation are more important than ever for addressing the most pressing challenges confronting the world today and for advancing the many common interests of the global community,” Hong Kai pointed out, drawing on his experiences being selected as a delegate to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders’ Summit, the ongoing EU-ASEAN Young Leaders Forum, as well as the upcoming ASEAN-Korea Youth Summit. “I hope to play an instrumental role in facilitating meaningful engagement, enhancing multilateral cooperation, and strengthening joint partnerships across governments and sectors to explore new and emerging issue areas, and lead teams to study and learn from the policy approaches different countries have adopted in various domains. On top of gaining insight into what various countries have been doing, it is also essential to accurately understand how each of their policymakers think – what are their mental models, their worldviews, and their starting points. Being a Yenching Scholar can equip me with the expertise and competencies to do so effectively and incisively, and contribute to a more stable, harmonious, and prosperous future for Singapore, the region, and the world.”

Hong Kai is the third Yale-NUS student to be awarded the prestigious Yenching Scholarship. The first recipient was Helena Auerswald in 2019, followed by Ann Chen in 2021. Other Yale-NUS students have also received equally competitive and selective scholarships, including the Knight-Hennessy, Rhodes, and Schwarzman scholarships — a testament to the quality and excellence of a Yale-NUS education.