Student Corner

Jacob Larsen, MAIR, 2022

I am from Arlington, Virginia, and I received my undergraduate degree from The College of William & Mary. My areas of concentration at SAIS are China studies and international economics.

I graduated from Tufts University in 2019 with a double major in international relations and political science. While my interest in China began as a child in Flushing, Queens, my academic research in cross-strait policy began at Tufts University under Dr. Michael Beckley.

Zhuoran “Z” Li, MAIR, 2022

I was born in Beijing, China, and moved to the United States when I was thirteen years old. My strongest area of expertise in research is document analysis. Due to my language proficiency, I am also able to conduct research in Chinese, English, and Japanese.

Ava Shen, MAIR, 2022

I am from Zhengzhou, China and I am a cum laude graduate of Boston University where I majored in International Relations and French Studies.

Abena Oduro, MAIR + HNC Program, 2023

I am from Ghana and I have a double bachelor’s degree in economics and Chinese. My undergraduate research focused on China-Africa relations.

Viola Du, MAIR, 2023

I am from Nanjing, China, I have lived in the United States for ten years. I currently serve the SAIS China Club as the Director of Professional Development. I earned my bachelor’s in business degree from Babson College with majors in economics and law.