Congratulations to Clara Wang, who began her master’s program at Peking University in Beijing, China, through the Yenching Scholars program! Clara studied government, public policy, and quantitative social sciences at Dartmouth and she wrote her honors thesis on China’s social media environment, so completing a master’s in Beijing is a wonderful opportunity. She headed out to Beijing in September and is concentrating on law and society, but she is considering a switch to economics and management. Clara hopes to do more research about China’s incredible economic development as well as its technology and education sectors. In her second semester she is taking courses related to China’s history and international development and has received funding to conduct a field study project on education reform in China.

What surprised Clara the most about her program is how it is simultaneously structured and unstructured. She can take any class at Peking University, so she is not restricted by her concentration; however, there are some mandatory courses for the Yenching program. Clara gets a nice balance of structure and flexibility, allowing her to create a curriculum catered to her needs and interests.

Outside of the classroom, Clara teaches swim lessons on the weekends through Peking University’s swim club and is on the Yenching women’s soccer team. Clara was part of R-Ladies prior to her move and is hoping to start a chapter in Beijing. When she first arrived in Beijing in the fall, she met up with a few Dartmouth alums who also participated in the Yenching Scholars program and gave great advice for navigating the city and, most importantly, the cuisine!

Keep up the great work, Clara!

—Dorian J.Allen, 93 15th St., Apt. 3F, Brooklyn, NY 11215; dorallen@comcast.net