University of Notre Dame senior Augustine Pasin will study at the Yenching Academy of Peking University next year as one of 117 global Yenching Scholars. He is Notre Dame’s seventh Yenching Scholar since 2017.
Yenching Scholars participate in an interdisciplinary master’s degree program in China studies at Yenching Academy, a postgraduate college of Peking University that brings together young people with a demonstrated talent for leadership and innovation.
The award comes with full tuition, accommodation in the Yenching Academy House, a travel stipend for one round-trip journey to and from Beijing, basic medical insurance and a stipend for campus living costs and expenses related to field studies.
In applying for the scholarship, Pasin worked closely with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE), which promotes the intellectual development of Notre Dame undergraduates through scholarly engagement, research, creative endeavors and the pursuit of fellowships.
“We are thrilled to add Augustine to our list of exceptional Notre Dame scholars who have attended the Yenching Academy. This achievement is a direct result of his passion for international research and the dedication he has shown to his studies over the past four years,” said Emily Hunt, student engagement program coordinator with CUSE. “Along with the many opportunities Notre Dame students have to participate in international research, they have access to the resources, faculty and staff at the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, making them competitive applicants for the Yenching Academy.”
Pasin is a Chinese major with a minor in business economics. He is a Hesburgh-Yusko Scholar and a Glynn Family Honors Scholar. His senior thesis, developed with guidance from Michel Hockx, professor of Chinese literature and director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at Notre Dame, revolved around the question, “Does China’s quota on foreign films lead to self-censorship in Hollywood?”
Born in Chicago, Pasin spent much of his youth in Hong Kong. His family owns Radio Flyer Inc., and he frequently traveled with them to China to build and deliver toy wagons to orphans there. He later attended boarding school in Shanghai to improve his Mandarin.
As a Yenching Scholar, Pasin plans to explore Chinese media, its success outside of China and the conditions and limits of that success in an increasingly globalized media environment, with the long-term goal of becoming a consultant for the media industry.
The Yenching is an annual award. International applicants interview for it during the winter and early spring. Winners are announced around April each year.
“It was the first time I had ever been truly scared of an interview,” Pasin said of the interview process. “Even at my interviews for Notre Dame’s Hesburgh-Yusko program I wasn’t so terrified. And I think that reflects how invested I was in the Yenching program. I wanted to win the award. I’m so excited to go to Beijing next year and engage with the other global scholars at Yenching.”
Originally published at news.nd.edu.
