Third Yale-NUS student receives Schwarzman Scholarship

Yale-NUS College student Ryan Kueh (Class of 2023) has been named a Schwarzman Scholar for the cohort 2023-2024. The Schwarzman Scholarship programme, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships, supports up to 200 Scholars annually from the United States, China, and around the world to pursue a one-year, fully-funded Master’s degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

“I am interested in understanding China’s role in the world more closely, which is something the Scholarship focuses on. Through the programme, I hope to meet and work with other like-minded individuals who have the same goal of bridging gaps between China and the world,” said Ryan, who majors in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, with an intended minor in History.

During his time at Yale-NUS, Ryan has published in undergraduate journals on the topics of Imperial Roman food culture and China’s gas strategy. The latter article focused on China’s energy policy and how Beijing uses liquified natural gas (LNG) as a political instrument to simultaneously advance its domestic energy transition and foreign policy goals. Currently, as part of his final year capstone, Ryan is researching on the social, political, and cultural history of Singapore’s food hawkers with Yale-NUS Professor of Humanities (History) Tan Tai Yong.

Ryan is a strong believer in multi-disciplinary application and has taken on different internships to deepen his knowledge in the areas of business, international affairs, and public policy. Most recently, he was a Global Markets Summer Analyst at J.P. Morgan covering Currencies and Rates in Emerging Markets, with other experiences in energy consulting, political consulting, and public policy.

Ryan is also passionate about creating social impact. He was a part of the leadership team for the National University of Singapore (NUS) chapter for Conjunct Consulting, a social organisation that provides consulting services for other social organisations. At Conjunct Consulting, Ryan spearheaded HackforGood, the organisation’s first hackathon focused on generating technology solutions for social enterprises, and developed long-term sustainable housing models for the Autism Resource Centre, with the project laying the groundwork for the Autism Enabling Masterplan.

Nilanjana Pal, Director of Yale-NUS Centre for International & Professional Experience (CIPE) said, “Yale-NUS College is extremely pleased that one of our students has been selected to join the Schwarzman Scholars programme. Ryan is an incredibly driven and intellectually curious young man whose commitment to and passion for social impact has defined his professional, academic and personal trajectory. The Schwarzman Scholarship will provide him with unparalleled opportunities to understand China’s role in the world—through rigorous academic work, access to an extensive network of peers and mentors and numerous opportunities for travel and cultural immersion. We look forward to seeing his future achievements and wish him all the best for his next endeavour.”

Ryan will enrol in the Master’s degree programme in August 2023, after completing his undergraduate degree at Yale-NUS College. After the programme, he will be joining Bain & Company as an Associate Consultant. He is keen to gain a deeper understanding of China’s role with regard to energy transition, and believes his experiences in Beijing will widen his worldview, equip him with useful skills and broaden his networks to better tackle global problems.

Schwarzman Scholars will live in Beijing for a year of study and cultural immersion — attending lectures, traveling around the region, and developing a better understanding of China.

Ryan is the third Schwarzman Scholar from Yale-NUS College. The first two are Mollie Saltskog (Class of 2017) and Daniel Ng (Class of 2019).