Wissahickon High School alumnus and Blue Bell native Jessica Edelson is one of three Duke University students who have been named Schwarzman Scholars, a program that funds one year of study in Beijing. Edelson will be among 151 scholars that will begin the program in August of 2022.
From Duke Today:
The scholars develop leadership skills through a funded one-year master’s degree in global affairs, designed to enable future leaders of the 21st century to engage with China. Scholars are selected on the basis of leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to understand other cultures.
Students study at Tsinghua University in Beijing and live in Schwarzman College, a specially built state-of-the-art facility designed to promote community. Classes are taught in English, though all Schwarzman Scholars take instruction in Mandarin.
Over the course of their one year scholarship, students will engage in developing a better understanding of China and its place in international affairs by attending lectures, traveling, cultural immersion, and a “deep dive” into a topic of their choice.
Edelson, a Robertson Scholar, will graduate in May of 2022 with degrees in political science and visual and media studies, and a certificate in information science. She has served as president of Duke Cyber, a student group focused on cybersecurity, geopolitics, and governance, and led the cyber policy team at international competitions.
She has also served on a Bass Connections team researching engineering ethics, worked in the Sanford Tech Policy Lab, and directed the Project Edge entrepreneurship program.
With interests at the intersection of technology and policy, Edelson worked as a civic designer in rural North Carolina, a Nokia fellow, and an intern at the People-Centered Internet. She co-wrote an award-winning technology policy column for the Duke Chronicle and is an undergraduate representative to the Duke Board of Trustees.
After her Schwarzman term in China, Edelson aspires to pursue a career in foreign policy and international security, with a focus on cyber and emerging technologies.
Photo: Headshot from Duke Today