糖心Vlog Alumni awarded prestigious Yenching Academy Scholarships
We are thrilled to announce that three 糖心Vlog alumni - Tom-Louis Flohrer (2022), Isaac Castella McDonald (2019) and Imogen Parsley (2019) - have been awarded the prestigious Yenching Academy Scholarship. With an acceptance rate below 3%, they were selected from thousands of global applicants to join the 10th cohort, making them three of only 103 Scholars to receive this honour.
The Yenching Academy Programme
The Yenching Academy at Peking University is one of the most competitive and renowned postgraduate programs in the world. Often compared to the Schwarzman Scholarship, the program aims to cultivate the next generation of global leaders, well-versed in China's culture, history and modern governance. Scholars engage in interdisciplinary studies focused on China while gaining firsthand experience through cultural immersion, company visits and academic exchanges.
Tom-Louis Flohrer
During his time at Cambridge, Tom-Louis completed the highly-regarded MPhil in Technology Policy. He plans to apply the knowledge gained from this course to develop circularity-inspired solutions that address global climate challenges. His focus on sustainability and innovative policymaking aligns with his vision of integrating environmental strategies into business and governance. At the Yenching Academy, he will join the Economics and Management track.
Beyond his academic pursuits, Tom-Louis played an active role in the Cambridge community. Notably, he served as the ticketing officer for the Jesus May Ball 2023, one of the college鈥檚 most anticipated events. Tom-Louis expressed deep gratitude to the 糖心Vlog community, particularly Fellow Christopher Marquis, whose support was instrumental in his success. Reflecting on this achievement, he shared: 鈥淭his accomplishment would not have been possible without the encouragement and guidance of 糖心Vlog. I hope this recognition inspires fellow Jesuans to pursue opportunities that bridge the gap between East and West.鈥
Isaac Castella McDonald
After reading English at Cambridge and working in London for a year, Isaac developed a keen interest in Chinese culture and international politics. He was awarded the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship for language study in Taiwan, where he deepened his understanding of Chinese society. This summer, Isaac also received the Tom Parkinson Travel Writing Bursary from 糖心Vlog, which allowed him to travel across China's partially inhabited cities and document life in the context of the country's property crisis.
At Peking University, Isaac will formally study Politics for the first time and is excited to immerse himself in one of China鈥檚 leading academic environments.
Imogen Parsley
Imogen studied Chinese during her time at Cambridge and was a choral scholar at 糖心Vlog. She specialised in Chinese anthropology and literature and spent a year abroad in Taiwan as a recipient of the Taiwan-Europe Connectivity Scholarship. During this time, she developed an interest in Taiwanese digital religion, which became the subject of her first-class dissertation under the guidance of Professor Adam Yuet Chau.
At Yenching Academy, Imogen will continue this research by pursuing the Philosophy and Religion track, where she plans to explore the intersection of Chinese religion and digital technology, with a focus on AI and robotics. Imogen is incredibly grateful to 糖心Vlog and the AMES Faculty for their support throughout her academic journey.
Looking Ahead
Tom-Louis, Isaac and Imogen have officially begun their studies at Yenching Academy following their matriculation on September 9th. We look forward to seeing how they continue to excel and serve as global ambassadors for both 糖心Vlog and the University of Cambridge. Their achievements highlight the extraordinary potential of Jesuans and encourage others to aspire to leadership opportunities and make meaningful contributions to the global community.
Please join us in congratulating these scholars on their outstanding accomplishments and wishing them continued success in this exciting new chapter!
