This article is the third of a new series on fellowships and postgraduate programmes featuring post-LKYSPP career paths. See previous articles on Boggs and Aarthi.



We spoke with LKYSPP graduates Eleni Ayala Ojeda (MPP 2019) and Rachel Juay (MPP 2021), who both secured places in the Schwarzman Scholars programme to pursue a fully funded one-year master's degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Eleni completed the programme in 2022—held virtually due to Covid—while Rachel is set to attend the on-site experience later this year.

Read on as they share what drew them to pursue two seemingly similar degrees.



Rachel Juay (left) from MPP 2021 and Eleni Ayala Ojeda (right) from MPP 2019

Tell us about your background, and what you gained from your time at LKYSPP.

Eleni: I was born and mostly raised in Mexico. My mom and I moved to the US when I was seven years old, but I returned to Mexico for my high school and undergraduate studies. I'm not sure if it was my time living abroad that inspired me, but I've always had a fascination for foreign cultures, as well as bilateral and international relations.

As an undergraduate, I did two exchange programmes, one in France and the other in South Korea. It was during my time in South Korea that I became interested in Asia—the cultures, languages, and systems of government. I also met a group of Singaporeans studying abroad, and one of them told me about LKYSPP, which later led me to apply.

Studying at LKYSPP was an incredible opportunity and one that I hold very close to my heart. Not only did I get the chance to live in Singapore and learn about the country’s culture, politics, and economy, I also got to live with other students from all over the world. I learned a lot about policymaking in other students’ home countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. I also had the chance to travel around the region and even did a semester exchange in Moscow. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to do my MPP at NUS, for the generous scholarship, and for the friendships and professional connections I made along the way.

Rachel: I’m from Singapore but I spent four years in Shanghai, where I finished high school. It was a really good opportunity to expand my worldview and adapt to a different country; this included learning to speak to classmates who were vastly different from me.

I returned to Singapore for my undergraduate studies at Yale-NUS and postgraduate studies at LKYSPP. I am happy to say that my time at LKYSPP certainly helped to forge some incredible and lasting friendships, and helped me gain greater insight into how policymaking processes are absolutely collaborative. Putting the two together, I’m grateful to have close friends challenge my views of the world and my thoughts on what good or inclusive policies can continue to look like in my learning journey.

What made you apply for a second Master’s degree, and why were you particularly interested in China?

Eleni: I heard about the Schwarzman programme when it launched in 2015, and had started an application for the first cohort. But ultimately, I decided that I wanted more work experience before pursuing my master’s degree, and I never submitted that application.

After gaining a couple of years of work experience, I felt that I specifically wanted public policy training, which is why I applied to LKYSPP, and was granted a full scholarship as an APEC scholar.

At the LKYSPP, there was a case study competition that I participated in—and won! My case study was about China’s social credit system, and this was when I became really interested in China. It was also around this time that I started taking Mandarin classes at NUS’s Kent Ridge campus. After graduating, I wanted to focus more on China, so I finally applied to join the sixth Schwarzman cohort.

Rachel: I applied last year to join the ninth cohort of the Schwarzman programme, which will begin this August. At the time, I was working at Marsh McLennan, a professional services firm, and I had a colleague who had been a Schwarzman scholar. I had heard about Schwarzman before, but this was the first time I had met someone who spoke very highly of the programme from a first-hand perspective.

I decided to apply because the course format was similar to my undergraduate programme, where the outlook was global. I also felt it would expand on my public policy training at LKYSPP. And I was excited to return to China for a year with a more mature perspective, to explore both what I could learn personally, and what the world could learn from China.

Rachel, as you’ve recently been through the selection process, what can you tell us about it?

Rachel: For the application, we had to write a leadership essay, honing in on a moment where we had displayed our best leadership attributes.

After submitting my application, I heard back within two or three weeks, and because it was their first non-pandemic year, I was invited to a panel interview in London. I remember walking into the room and seeing all these eyes, just sort of staring at me! There were probably about 10 people on the panel, and it was a 20-minute rapid-fire interview, so it was nerve-wracking. They don’t brief you on the questions beforehand, but you can expect self-introduction questions, technical questions based on their perception of your expertise, and a current affairs question. These questions are meant to test how you perform under pressure, and what you do in situations where you don’t have all the answers.

I think what helped me to stand out is that I asked a lot of clarifying questions, and I was open when I didn't have ‘perfect’ information to work with. In such instances, I would approach questions in a logical way, and I did so methodically, so the panel could understand my thoughts, even if they didn’t have a policy background.

I can share that one of the interview questions required me to illustrate a bottom-up approach to policy making, and I framed my answer using something that I’d learned at LKYSPP, from a class called “Politics of Infrastructure.” I drew on the urban scientist Jane Jacobs and her insights about New York, to highlight that informal interactions are just as important as formal structures.

Eleni, what are some differences between the LKYSPP and Schwarzman programmes? Also, what have you worked on since completing the Schwarzman programme?

Eleni: In terms of the curriculum, LKYSPP is heavier on policy analysis and quantitative analysis skills, whereas Schwarzman is heavier on China courses and leadership. LKYSPP is a two-year course, whereas Schwarzman is a one-year programme. Lastly, LKYSPP has a larger percentage of south and southeast Asian students, while Schwarzman has more American and Chinese students.

As for capstone projects, both LKYSPP and Schwarzman required us to work on research projects in a thesis-like format, with a final presentation before a panel. The main difference was that at LKYSPP, we did it as a group project, while at Schwarzman, my capstone was individual. The amount of support received was similar, although the Schwarzman capstone was more time consuming, since I did it alone. In addition, at LKYSPP, the emphasis for my capstone was on a policy issue in Southeast Asia, while at Schwarzman there was more focus on China itself, or China in relation to another country or region.

After completing the Schwarzman programme, I was able to access fellowship opportunities with the National Committee on US-China Relations (NCUSCR), where I organised seminars for the Schwarzman Scholars community in New York, London, Singapore, and Seoul. These seminars covered topics like politics, economics, security, and technology. I also worked on “Track II” dialogues, which are informal dialogues between the US and China on sensitive issues.

Rachel, any thoughts to share about the Schwarzman programme as you prepare for your year in China?

Rachel: Some people might say that having one masters degree is enough. Also, why get a complementary qualification, like a master’s in global affairs, if you already have one in public policy?

 

In my career, I’ve been a generalist, where I’ve done a variety of things that involve problem solving. This can manifest in many different types of jobs and career opportunities. I’m hoping to grow my personal network of mentors through the Schwarzman programme, to seek advice and explore new avenues that I haven’t considered before.