Jasper Abrahams is a Belgian student with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese studies at the Catholic University of Leuven. He previously studied in Ghent and Paris, and obtained a master’s degree in European law at the University of Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne. His academic trajectory has mainly allowed him to explore the interaction between law and politics, but his interests range from economics to literature and art. Although his interest in China and Chinese culture came at a later age, it is no less sincere. In Beijing, he plans to deepen his knowledge of the Chinese legal system, engage with passionate scholars from all over the world, and improve his language proficiency. Moreover, he hopes that the Yenching Academy will provide the ideal next step on his way to becoming a worthy China scholar.

Micaela Filipa Borges Rocha is a Portuguese national living in the UK. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Birmingham with first-class honors in Archaeology (with two years of International Study). Micaela was awarded the Chinese Government Scholarship and studied Mandarin Chinese at Nanjing University between 2013-2015. During her time in China, Micaela became interested in Chinese history and archaeology. Her dissertation focused on the Nanjing Massacre and looked at the interface between archaeology, identity, politics, and international relations. Since her graduation, Micaela had mostly worked as an archaeologist for the Museum of London Archaeology and transitioned into being a Scotland Yard detective. At the Yenching Academy, Micaela studies within the History and Archaeology track, exploring the politics of the past by examining how the past is used to construct the present and imagine the future.

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Iona Branford is from the UK. She completed her undergraduate degree in Law at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2020 with a triple first-class degree and winning various college and university prizes. Iona went on to study the postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law course at Oxford University and studied the bar course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy. She has secured a pupillage to train as a barrister in London. Iona specializes in Law and Society at Yenching, and hopes to use her time at Peking University to improve her understanding of Chinese contract law, focusing on the grounds for invalidating contracts in English and Chinese law. She was previously an intern English teacher in Chengdu, where she taught for five months in 2017.

Originally from a small town in Scotland, Ailsa moved to the city of Tianjin when she was 18 to pursue her passion for studying Chinese. Her year studying at Tianjin Foreign Studies University led her to continue her passion for learning the Chinese language and culture at the University of Oxford, where she graduated with a degree in Chinese Studies in 2022. As an undergrad, she had the opportunity to study abroad at Peking University before the pandemic. Ailsa has contributed to reports focusing on the Belt and Road Initiative for the University of Oxford Silk Road Think Tank. Having worked as an access ambassador and student representative for the University of Oxford, Ailsa is also passionate about access to education. She hopes to further investigate the factors influencing access to education in China through Yenching Academy's Law and Society track.

Joshua Brown graduated magna cum laude from the College of William & Mary in 2018 with a B.A. in International Relations. At university, he began taking Chinese language courses and became interested in China’s growing role as an economic development partner in the global south, a trend he witnessed firsthand while studying abroad in Bolivia. Since graduating, he has worked with consulting firms implementing projects to facilitate trade in Central America, modernize the Haitian customs agency, combat illegal gold mining in Colombia, and eliminate deforestation along the soy supply chain in critical biomes like the Amazon. Through Yenching’s Politics & International Relations track, Joshua plans to research novel opportunities for cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese non-state actors on pressing global development challenges like climate change adaptation and mitigation. Joshua is originally from the U.S. and enjoys reading philosophy and discovering new music in his free time.

Originally from Germany, Jakob Bull grew up in Switzerland and Belgium before moving to the U.K. to study for a B.A. and M.Eng. in Information and Computer Engineering. Whilst at university, he visited China and became deeply interested in the country and its role in shaping current technological revolutions. After taking an introductory Mandarin class, he decided to further pursue his interest in China. Working for a startup developing Artificial Intelligence for education, Jakob became interested in entrepreneurial attitudes across the world. He aims to help better understand the culture agnostic key drivers behind successful innovation. At Yenching Academy, Jakob focuses on Economics and Management, complementing his previous technical studies.

Hamitcan Canan holds a B.A. in International Business, participating in a joint degree program with Siemens in Berlin. While at Siemens, he worked for the firm’s energy division focusing on strategic growth opportunities and blockchain-based business models across Europe and Asia. In 2021, Hamitcan spent a term abroad at the University of Leeds, earning scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, achieving first-class honors. Simultaneously, he worked at the Oxford China International Consultancy, investigating the Chinese technology landscape with a stark focus on renewable energy and fintech as part of various research projects. After university, Hamitcan worked in research at the Technical University of Munich and as a strategy consultant for EY-Parthenon, serving clients in the firm’s Private Equity and Consumer Goods practices. As a Yenching Scholar, Hamitcan aims to deepen his understanding of Chinese technology markets while exploring Beijing.

Amanda Cassano is from Potomac, Maryland, in the United States. She received her B.A. in 2022 from Bowdoin College, where she majored in Economics and Asian Studies with a concentration in China Studies. Amanda is a 2021 graduate of the Princeton in Beijing summer language program and a 2022 recipient of the U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholarship for Mandarin Chinese. Her interest in China Studies began when she took courses in Chinese History and Politics in her first year of undergraduate. At the Yenching Academy, Amanda pursues research in Chinese food safety, security, and sustainability through the Politics and International Relations track.

Stefano Castelli was born and raised in a village at the foot of the Alps in Bergamo province, Italy. He is a graduate of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, holding a Bachelor’s in Business Administration focusing on Management, Finance, and Economics. He also completed a semester exchange at Tsinghua University, where he developed an interest in Chinese International Business. Throughout his studies, Stefano has accomplished working experience within different fields, including an internship at Amazon.com, Inc. At the Yenching Academy, he aims to advance his expertise in foreign direct investments, focusing on the phenomenon of cross-border mergers and acquisitions between Chinese and Western corporations.