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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., February 13, 2019—Williams College senior Alden Taylor ’19 has been named a Yenching Scholar, joining the program’s fifth cohort at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing, China. A Yenching Academy scholarship offers a fully funded interdisciplinary master’s degree in China studies. The program aims to cultivate leaders who will advocate for global progress and cultural understanding through the study of China. Taylor will enter the program this fall with a concentration in international relations and politics. He is Williams’ first Yenching Scholar.
Hailing from Providence, R.I., Taylor is a history major at Williams. Having taken courses on China’s society, history and government, among other areas of study, he hopes to become an international lawyer, with a focus on strengthening diplomacy between the U.S. and China. As a Yenching Scholar, he plans to further study China’s burgeoning role in global governance. In addition, he looks forward to gaining insight into Chinese and other perspectives on China’s responsibility to the world as well as its diplomatic practices toward the U.S.
“The Yenching Scholarship will help me reach my goals to practice international law and author legislation that shapes and mediates a deeper China-U.S. relationship,” Taylor says. “Because the study of governance cannot be isolated to one discipline, the Yenching Academy’s emphasis on breadth and interdisciplinarity is perfectly suited to me, and will grant me necessary insights for my future career.”
At Williams, Taylor participated in the history department’s senior advisory group and was the personnel director for the college’s radio station. In addition, he was awarded the Richard Ager Newhall Book Prize in European History and the Dunbar Student Life Prizes in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Taylor studied international relations for a semester at the University of Amsterdam before he spent summer 2018 in Washington, D.C., as a legislative intern for U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan.
The English-taught Yenching Academy program emphasizes interdisciplinary education and studying China’s development from both Chinese and international perspectives. During their 12-month fellowships, international Yenching Scholars complete coursework and a thesis. Scholars design their study experience by choosing one of six academic concentrations that direct their electives and field studies. Complementing academic courses are Chinese language training and career-focused workshops, consultations and seminars.
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Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college’s 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students’ educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions on U.S. applicants are made regardless of a student’s financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.
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Published February 13, 2019
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