Zyn Yee Ang was born and raised in Singapore. She is a Lieutenant in the Republic of Singapore Navy and graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and International and Public Affairs. A recipient of Singapore's President's Scholarship, Zyn Yee is passionate about human-centered technologies, affective computing, and digital policy. At Brown, she was involved in Socially Responsible Computing programs, the Brown China Summit, and Van Wickle Ventures, a student-run venture fund. At Yenching Academy, she hopes to examine how China’s unique digital ecosystem develops technologies that strengthen human connection and serve community needs. Her interest in this field is informed by her naval experience, where she saw how technology can support human operators and facilitate multinational cooperation. Zyn Yee looks forward to exploring Beijing by bicycle, connecting with her grandparents’ hometown, and immersing herself in China’s vibrant cultural landscape.

Gabriel Victor Zove Ashdown, an Anglo-Brazilian native of London, United Kingdom, graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese from SOAS, University of London, having spent a year on exchange at Taiwan Normal University. His undergraduate studies were interdisciplinary, covering Chinese philosophy, history, folklore, contemporary culture, as well as Korean and Japanese language. At the Yenching Academy, Gabriel intends to research the intersection of youth cultural production and consumption, government policy, and AI under the Law and Society track. He looks forward to engaging with courses across a wide range of disciplines and participating fully in campus life at Peking University. In the long term, Gabriel aims to leverage his experiences to promote deeper trilateral cooperation between the United Kingdom, China, and Brazil.

Abdul Haey-ee (Ace) Asim, from the United States, graduated from Duke Kunshan University and Duke University, majoring in Ethics and Leadership in Public Policy. As Co-President of the DKU Pre-Law Society, he helped lay a foundation for future students by launching the university’s first undergraduate legal journal, website, LSAT prep program, and a DKU-specific law school guide. He also authored the Society’s first annual report to secure long-term institutional support. At the Yenching Academy, he will join the Law and Society track, advancing his research on AI ethics in Chinese smart cities. With China setting global precedents in AI innovation, Abdul Haey-ee is committed to understanding how Chinese cultural traditions shape approaches to law, ethics, and technology. A performer as well as a scholar, Abdul Haey-ee is a singer, actor, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist. He played the male lead in DKU’s first fully staged musical and co-founded DKU Music Night, the university’s largest and most consistent arts gathering for Chinese and international students. His interdisciplinary work reflects a lifelong mission: to inspire connection across cultures and build more ethical, inclusive societies.

Born and raised in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Enkhkhuslen has studied Chinese for over 12 years, beginning in elementary school. She graduated from the dual-degree undergraduate program at Duke University and Duke Kunshan University, majoring in Public Policy. During her time at DKU, she founded both the Pre-Law Society and the Mongolian Students Association. At the Yenching Academy, she plans to build upon her undergraduate thesis by expanding her research across East Asia, deepening her exploration of gender equity and legal aspects of government structures. She aspires to serve as a political leader in Mongolia.

Originally from Duesseldorf, Germany, Michael Joseph Bayen graduated from the University of Cambridge, where he studied Environment, Law and Economics. During his undergraduate years, he developed a strong interest in regional and urban policy in China, particularly the rise of Chinese megacities and their integration into global urban networks. Outside the classroom, he pursued Mandarin language studies and deepened his engagement with Chinese academia through a research internship at the Department of Economics at Hangzhou Normal University. There, he contributed to research examining the impact of agricultural insurance on regional productivity in Hebei province, China. At the Yenching Academy, Michael intends to explore China’s evolving role in global trade and the international financial system, with a particular focus on how economic power translates into foreign policy.

Matheus Bender, originally from Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, holds a B.A. in Sociology from Berea College (USA), where he explored the intersections of sociology, psychology, and economics. At NYU Langone Health, he researched the macro-, meso-, and micro-level impacts of the opioid epidemic and evaluated public policies designed to mitigate substance-use harms. As a Taylor Fellow, he traveled through developing nations studying the social dimensions of generosity— an experience that crystallized his commitment to collaborative, systemic approaches to global development. Drawn by China’s unprecedented achievements in poverty alleviation and economic transformation, Matheus joins Yenching Academy to investigate Chinese antipoverty programs and to examine how the Belt and Road Initiative shapes social mobility in partner countries. He will blend quantitative policy analysis with qualitative fieldwork, aiming to generate insights that promote equitable growth and foster cross-cultural dialogue.

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Born and raised in France, Elliott Raymond Patrice Bize is a French American and he earned a BA in Politics and Government with a focus on the European Union and Franco-German relations from Sciences Po Paris. He spent a year abroad at Peking University through an academic exchange program, where he had deepened his longstanding interest in China. Upon graduation, Elliott will continue this path at the Yenching Academy, enrolling in the International Relations and Politics track to further his understanding of Chinese policies and diplomacy. Passionate about international relations, he aspires to a career in the French foreign service or in public policy. He holds an Abibac dual diploma, speaks fluent German, and is learning Mandarin and Russian to broaden his global outlook.

Kofi Owusu Boateng is a Ghanaian scholar passionate about Sino-African relations, with a focus on the political economy of China’s engagement in Africa. He holds a First-Class degree in History and Chinese from the University of Ghana and a Master of Arts Degree in International and Regional Studies from China Three Gorges University. His recent co-authored publication in the Eurasian Geography and Economics journal examines China’s impact on sustainable development in Africa. He has held leadership roles, including President of the International Students Association at the School of Foreign Studies at China Three Gorges University and the University of Ghana Campus Chapter President of the Africans on China Campus Leadership Ambassadors Programme. Kofi is a two-time recipient of the Chinese Ambassador’s Award for outstanding students at the University of Ghana. At the Yenching Academy, Kofi aimes to explore China’s global influence further and contribute African perspectives to discussions on international development.

Deiniol completed his undergraduate degree at Durham University studying Combined Honours in Social Sciences, which included courses on Chinese politics, history, and language, instigating his interest in the subject. In 2023, he spent an exchange year studying at the University of Hong Kong and was fascinated by the conversations at organisations such as the AsiaGlobal Institute and the Centre for Contemporary China and the World, focusing on China’s international relations. At the Yenching Academy, Deiniol hopes to focus on how ideational factors inform China’s international relations and international development regime, drawing inspiration from the academic environment of the academy and wider university. In 2024, Deiniol founded the Forum on a Multipolar World, a publication looking at emerging issues in global politics through interviews with leading scholars in different fields, a project he hopes to continue at the Yenching Academy.