2026 College graduate Rachel Ou was named a Schwarzman Scholar earlier this month.
The program funds a one-year master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in China. Ou — who will join 136 scholars from 40 countries — is the 28th Penn student to receive the scholarship since it was first awarded in 2016.
In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Ou expressed her excitement to be part of an “interdisciplinary environment” at Tsinghua.
“I think being in such a global cohort will help me to gain a very international perspective before I hopefully matriculate into medical school,” Ou said.
The Schwarzman Scholarship aims to create a “global community of future leaders” by building on students’ leadership abilities and educating them on China’s role in global affairs. Recipients participate in cultural immersion experiences, internships, and professional development opportunities.
At Penn, Ou volunteered as a patient navigator at Penn’s Center for Surgical Health, served as president of Penn Chinese Calligraphy, and performed nanoparticle drug delivery research at bioengineering professor Andrew Tsourkas’ lab. She majored in biology with minors in chemistry and design.
“I’m really interested, first and foremost, in exploring China’s role in science, healthcare, and biotechnology innovation,” Ou, who identifies as Chinese American, said.
She added that she hoped to focus on “emerging technologies,” such as artificial intelligence, which may “help in bridging the access gap between rural and urban communities.”
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Ou said that a Penn Global Seminar, the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations, fueled her interest in the China’s geopolitical role.
“It really opened my eyes to the importance of understanding and having dialogue between countries in order to bring about healthcare innovation globally,” she added.
Ou sought help on the scholarship application from several mentors, including Neysun Mahboubi, the director of the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations, and Tsourkas. She also spoke to Penn graduates who completed the program, who she said “provided a lot of great insights.”
“I’m so glad that the community is so tight and willing to help others throughout the process, and I hope to give back when I’m an alum of the Schwarzman Scholars program,” she said.
