Yenching Academy of Peking University

On May 26, a group of visited for an exchange session. During the visit, ZhenFund representatives introduced the firm’s overall business structure and core investment philosophy, sharing insights into their approach and practices in early-stage venture investing. The Scholars engaged in in-depth discussions with the investment director and members of the talent team, raising questions on topics such as ZhenFund’s investment strategies, the current landscape and future trends of the venture capital industry, the impact of policy changes on the startup ecosystem, as well as opportunities and challenges in the AI sector. The visit provided Yenching Scholars with a valuable opportunity to gain firsthand exposure to a leading early-stage investment institution and to further broaden their understanding of China’s venture capital landscape.

On April 22, Da Wei, Director of the Centre for Strategy and Security and concurrently professor in the Department of International Relations, School of Social Sciences at , delivered a lecture titled “China-US Relations: Resilience and New Possibility” at the . This was the 11th lecture in the China Studies Lecture Series for the 2025‒2026 academic year and was hosted by Associate Dean Fan Shiming.

Read more about the lecture here: https://yenchingacademy.pku.edu.cn/info/1039/5013.htm

On the afternoon of May 16, 2026, the alumni event "Shanghai Book Nook: A YCA Spring Gathering" was held at WANGYIJI Kaoting Academy in Shanghai. The event brought together 15 alumni from cohorts 2 through 9, who travelled from various cities across the Yangtze River Delta, including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, and Suzhou.

Immersed in a space filled with the aromas of tea and books, attendees experienced Shanghai's unique Haipai culture. The gathering featured a structured roundtable discussion followed by free-flowing conversations, where recent graduates shared career reflections and senior alumni reconnected with old classmates. They reminisced about their campus days and exchanged interdisciplinary professional insights across diverse fields.

This successful gathering united the regional alumni community. Moving forward, YCA alumni will continue to carry forward the Academy's core values, contributing their collective “YCA strength" to the development of the East China region.

During the Spring 2026 semester, launched the Cross-Cultural Leadership Program, a new student development initiative designed to help students better understand leadership in an increasingly interconnected and complex world.

Open to as well as students across Peking University interested in cross-cultural exchange, the program combines academic lectures, institutional visits, and conversations with practitioners and young professionals.

Session 1 featured Prof. D**g Yuntao from Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, who explored leadership theories from classic models to contemporary contingency approaches. The lecture also examined paternalistic leadership in the Chinese context and discussed emerging issues, including AI in HRM, employee monitoring, and performance feedback.

Session 2 brought students to Xidan The New and Langyuan Station for a site visit and sharing session with alumna Wang Yining (Emma), Co-founder & COO of LookTook. Students explored urban renewal, startup management, lifestyle consumption, and the practice of building “elite small teams.”

Session 3 welcomed Dr. Wu Jian’an from DeHeng Law Offices, who examined how law, geopolitics, and economic security are reshaping the global order. The discussion highlighted the growing importance of trust, dialogue, and cross-cultural understanding in a fragmented world.

The final session featured Prof. Hu Jia from Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management, who explored humility, communication, and leadership in the age of AI. Her lecture emphasised that while AI can carry words across borders, only humans can carry meaning, empathy, and responsibility.

Across the four sessions, participants were encouraged not only to learn from academic research and professional practice but also to think critically about leadership across cultures, disciplines, and societies.

On 11 May 2026, YCA Live: The 2nd Music Night Showcase was held at Erti, Peking University, bringing together approximately 60 faculty members, performers, and students for an evening of student-led musical performance and community engagement. The event marked the first collaboration between the Yenching Academy, Duke Kunshan University, and the Schwarzman Scholars Program, with members of all three communities sharing the stage in a cross-campus exchange.

The programme featured a series of performances alongside an open-mic session, including karaoke, contributing to a vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere. Highlights included an original composition by Yenching singer-songwriter Tian Hailun, a collaborative performance by flutist Kelsey Chin and YCA scholar Vicente Revello, as well as a piano trio performance by DKU musicians.

The performance was jointly presented by seven Yenching Scholars, three Duke Kunshan University scholars, and one Schwarzman Scholar: Abdul Haey-ee Asim (USA), Andrew Rule (USA), Yi Xuexin (China), Deiniol Brown (UK), Luca Bustani Wood (UK), Vicente Revello (Argentina), Vinicius Bentes Brito (Brazil), Jacob Isaac Rubanov (USA), Lucinda Dominique Song Romero (USA), Song Haizhu (China), and Kelsey Chin (USA).

Dean D**g of Yenching Academy also attended the event and joined in a musical performance, which was warmly received by the audience. Audience members actively participated throughout the event, and the performance concluded with an enthusiastic applause and calls for encores. As an emerging tradition at Yenching Academy, the YCA Music Nights provides scholars with a platform for creativity and relaxation, while fostering cross-cultural connections through music.

On May 11, participated in an immersive 3.0 experience activity at International in Xicheng District, Beijing. From exploring the latest updates on the HSK exam structure and trying the HSK GO learning platform to experience mock exams, including the newly introduced HSK 7-9 test, Scholars gained firsthand insight into the evolving landscape of language learning. The afternoon concluded with a hands-on movable-type printing workshop, giving Scholars a chance to engage with the Chinese language through a traditional cultural craft.

Somewhere between uncertainty and possibility, we found ourselves here.

This video began with a simple question about our — what it means to grow into ourselves in a world that keeps shifting beneath our feet. What followed were conversations, late nights, field trips, friendships, moments of doubt, moments of surprise, and the slow realization that growth rarely arrives all at once. It accumulates quietly: in the people who challenge you, the questions that stay with you, and the places that slowly begin to feel like home. For us, of became that place. A small reflection on youth, becoming, and choosing to step into the unknown anyway. 🤍✨

https://youtu.be/PD6zZtlZuI8

Video by Krupa Sekhar

Twenties: To the Version of Us Who Didn’t Know What Came Next Somewhere between uncertainty and possibility, we found ourselves here. This video began with a simple question about our twenties — what it means to grow in...

On April 15, Xu Long, a member of Club des Chefs des Chefs ( ), a former Western Cuisine Executive Chef at the Great Hall of the People and a recognised National Technical Expert and Chinese Culinary Master delivered a at the of .

His lecture titled “The Flavours of the : Explore Chinese Culinary Art with a Master Chef” shared how ingredients travelled across and shaped .

Read more about the lecture here: https://yenchingacademy.pku.edu.cn/info/1039/4963.htm

Different languages, one message— all sent from , Yenching’s home base at .

It's that brings the whole world under one roof. Every "Happy Birthday" is a tribute to the journey we've shared, and to the days we've spent connecting China and the world through ideas and .

Here’s to the journey, the people, and everything still to come~

Video by Krupa Sekhar

https://youtu.be/jbz2Etmlrew

Every story starts somewhere… this is Andrew’s.

What began as a love of became something more.

Now, Andrew Rule, a 2024 cohort from , isn’t just reading stories; he’s them, connecting cultures through .

video by Grace Odunlami

Yenching Academy of Peking University Andrew’s Journey: Reading, Translation & Cultural Connection