King's College London

Thomas Pattenden, who recently graduated from the Lau China Institute with an MSc in China and Globalisation, will be building on his studies as part of the two-year programme based at the Yenching Academy in Beijing. The programme - an initiative of China’s Peking University - aims to bridge the gap between China and the rest of the world through its interdisciplinary master's programme. 124 young scholars from across 37 countries and regions will have the opportunity to build on their interest in China, studying a range of disciplines from politics and economics to history, legal studies, literature and philosophy, undertake fieldwork and engage in extracurricular activities.

The scholarship recognises talent for leadership and innovation and offer young scholars the chance to carry out fieldwork in China, connect with peers from around the world as well as China’s own leading academics, all while studying at China’s number one university.

Speaking of the scholarship, Thomas said, “It's a huge honour to be joining the Yenching Academy. I’m excited to deepen my knowledge on China and establish an even more interdisciplinary understanding.”

As part of the two-year programme, Thomas will be studying Politics and International Relations. His research will examine China’s shift from infrastructure-led to human-centric development through the Global Development Initiative and its impact on global poverty alleviation.

Having studied China as an undergraduate and completing his masters at the Lau China Institute, Thomas said that the China and Globalisation MSc programme helped him to gain a deeper knowledge of China through the variety of modules on offer:

“I see my area of research at Yenching as being a culmination of my time at the Institute as my research proposal draws upon elements from a range of modules I took. I had the opportunity to conduct and defend a piece of research in Mandarin which exposed me to critical Chinese academic discourse. This is what pushed me towards wanting to continue my studies in China.”

Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute, Kerry Brown said, 

"It is a critically important time to engage with and study China. As the largest China research institute in the UK, we are delighted that our former student Thomas Pattenden has been awarded a Yenching scholarship to study in China, which will allow him to make his own mind up about China.”  

A representative from the Academy's admissions office said, "Our Admissions Committee were deeply impressed by Thomas’s outstanding achievements and personal qualities. We are excited about the valuable contributions King's students will bring to our vibrant international community and look forward to witnessing their unique academic and professional journeys at the Yenching Academy. We also look forward to having more outstanding students from King's College London joining us in the future." 

Find out more about studying at the Lau China Institute.

For more information about the Yenching Academy, visit their website.