FAYETTEVILLE -- A University of Arkansas student has been selected for a year of graduate study in China through the Schwarzman Scholars program.
Danielle Neighbour is one of 129 students chosen from around the world to live in a specially-built academic and residential building on the campus of Tsinghua University in Beijing.
The group will be the second class of Schwarzman Scholars, beginning their studies in August of next year. The program was established with a $100 million gift announced in 2013 from Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder of investment firm Blackstone.
On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump also announced an advisory group of business leaders that will be chaired by Schwarzman, with the group to meet in the White House in February.
Schwarzman candidates are evaluated based on academics, leadership and a "desire to understand other cultures, perspectives and positions," among other criteria, according to the program. Scholars selected for the program attend classes taught in English while also receiving instruction to learn or improve Mandarin language skills. They work toward a master's degree and travel to different regions in China.
Neighbour, from Lenexa, Kan., is the first UA student to be named a Schwarzman Scholar. She previously was named a 2016 Harry S. Truman Scholar, an honor given on the basis of academic achievement and community service.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend a year learning from global leaders in preparation for a future dedicated to public service," Neighbour said in a statement released by UA.
She is a senior at UA studying civil engineering and has worked with Reach Beyond to install clean water systems for Ecuador's indigenous communities living in the Amazon. Her career plans include working to improve drinking water access in developing nations, according to the university.
NW News on 12/06/2016