Abdulla AlHemeiri was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He holds a bachelor's degree in Social Research & Public Policy and Political Science from New York University in Abu Dhabi and wishes to pursue Politics and International Relations at Yenching Academy. His research focuses on strengthening the strategic ties between China and the UAE. At NYUAD, Abdulla founded the Arab Student Association and the Jiu-Jitsu Sports Team and participated in the China-Gulf Forum. Additionally, Abdulla enjoys writing and has published a novel called "The Lost Desert Kingdom." He has been involved in foreign affairs, serving as an analyst at the UAE Embassy in Beijing, the UAE Consulate in New York, and the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations in Geneva. Abdulla is eager to dive into Chinese culture, learn Mandarin, and engage with the community, enriching his expertise and forging meaningful global connections.

Originally from France, Dounia Al Jijakli is currently completing a master's degree in politics and international studies at the University of Cambridge. In 2023, she graduated with First Class Honours from McGill University, earning a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Chinese Mandarin. With her extensive specialization in international relations, foreign languages, and passion for travel, Dounia aspires to join the European civil service after graduating from Peking University. Already a polyglot, she sees Yenching Academy's program as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Sino-European relations from a Chinese perspective and immerse herself anew in a cross-cultural context valuable to her envisaged career path, while continuing to improve her Mandarin skills.

Noel, hailing from Singapore, earned a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in War Studies with the Department of War Studies at King's College London. His academic journey has been enriched by diverse international experiences, including studying abroad in California, serving as a summer research fellow in South Korea, and participating in international competitions. Growing up in Singapore, Noel developed a fascination with international affairs from a young age, which evolved into a focused interest in international security. Having spent the last few years immersed in events and engaging with experts in the UK, US, and Europe, he now seeks to broaden his worldview and incorporate more Chinese perspectives. At Yenching Academy, Noel hopes to explore Chinese nuclear policy, regional nuclear dynamics, and the ramifications of emerging disruptive technologies on regional security.

Nicole graduated from Universitas Indonesia with a major in Social Anthropology. She has grown an interest in learning international relations from her experience in youth diplomacy platforms, such as Y20 Indonesia 2022, the EU-ASEAN Youth Workshop, the ASEAN+ Youth Summit 2023, and the Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue. Currently serving as the lead of the Student Association of Belt and Road Initiative (SABRI) Indonesia, she aspires to bridge youth collaboration beyond nationalities. She has a keen interest in researching people-to-people diplomacy and the Belt and Road Initiative. This topic also ignited her enthusiasm to continue pursuing higher degrees in China, where she can study how the nation manages to enhance development in developing countries. She believes that as the people become the core of international relations, it is important to use a bottom-up perspective in studying global affairs. She is excited to resume her journey as a Yenching Scholar and enhance her capability as a future researcher.

Originally from Reykjavik, Iceland, Fríða Axelsdóttir spent the majority of her childhood in Beijing after relocating there with her family in 2005. She would later pursue and obtain a BA in Chinese Studies from the University of Iceland, with an exchange year at Peking University. During her early years in China, she witnessed immense changes and intends to deepen her academic understanding of China further. While at Yenching Academy, she aims to research the evolving economic, social, and cultural dimensions of the relationship between China and Iceland. She has extensive professional experience in diplomacy, having worked as a visa officer at the Embassy of Iceland in Beijing and later in the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She hopes to play an active role in the ongoing diplomatic relations between China and Iceland.

Originally from Galicia, Spain, Ignacio Barroso majored in International Relations at Rey Juan Carlos University. During his undergraduate years, he took multiple extracurricular courses focusing on East Asian geopolitics and languages. He further pursued this interest through scholarly experiences at Chengchi University and Cheng Kung University in Taiwan (China), expanding his knowledge of Chinese politics and culture. Ignacio gained research experience at the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, which he applied in volunteer work with several organizations linked to EU external policy and China studies, including European Guanxi. He has demonstrated leadership on the international stage at the Asia Society Korea and the European Forum Alpbach. At Yenching Academy, Ignacio focuses on International Relations and Politics, aiming to revitalize interest in China studies and strengthen Spain-China ties, enhancing academic connections.

Joseph Bongard is a student from the UK who completed his studies at Durham University. He has had a strong interest in China since the beginning of his undergraduate studies. Joseph intends to further research the fields of Qing history and international exchange, with a special interest in missionary history. At Yenching Academy, he aims to improve his spoken Chinese language skills and become immersed in local culture. His career goals include further study of history and work in international relations. He is an enthusiastic rock climber and hopes to contribute to campus life as an active member of the community.

Oscar Leander Bray was born in Weimar, Germany, and raised on Bainbridge Island, United States. He studied History, Politics, Creative Writing, and East Asia at Wake Forest University, where he helped to found the World Tea Association, an organization dedicated to building community around a shared interest in tea. He has received three research grants to study East Asian history, traveling to Seoul, Nagasaki, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka, focusing on the developmental influence of China on its neighbors. At Yenching Academy, Oscar will study history and plans to research China's role in early-modern global history, with a specific lens on how nascent European imperial projects appropriated a position of East Asian Chinese regional hegemony for the construction of their colonial spheres.

Alexander Burke is originally from Southern California, USA. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2021 with a degree in Economics. Following graduation, Alex worked in Seoul, South Korea's finance and investment industry, where he was exposed to the dynamic Chinese and pan-Asian markets. Witnessing firsthand the significant challenges and opportunities of successful cross-border interactions ignited a deep interest in understanding current and potential future US-China-East Asia economic relations, particularly cross-border investment and market entry strategies. As a Yenching Scholar, Alex studies Economics and Management, exploring these complexities and contributing to a more open and efficient dialogue about the future of US-China economic relations.

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