T.C. Young Scholars at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
RAN CHENG 2020-2022
Ran has been a Programme Associate at the UNDP office in Beijing. She has focused on the measuring the effectiveness of development projects covering poverty, equity and clean energy. Upon graduation from Harris, she "would like to work in the field of sustainable financing and leverage more private sector resources to help tackle development problems, especially those related to severe ageing issues...in China."
Prior to UNDP, Ran worked at KPMG and IPSOS in Shanghai. She has a Bachelor degree in Economics from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
On June 5th, 2022, Ran graduated with a MPP degree with honors from the Harris School of Public Policy. She is currently a fellow of the UChicago Applied Data Fellowship program. She is working with Urban Labs as a research analyst for crime and education policies. On October 17th, 2022, she accepted the Foundation invitation to join the Board.
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LIWEI XU 2021-2023
Liwei has worked most recently at Lang Lang Foundation in Beijing. She managed its presence on social media emphasizing the importance of music education. Upon graduation from Harris, she "would like to design and implement effective educational programs, providing disadvantaged children with practical Internet courses which can teach them how to use the Internet properly".
Liwei has a Master degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Birmingham and a Bachelor in Labor and social welfare from Renmin University. Her international experience includes a 3-week program in Morocco as a volunteer in early childhood development.
CICI(SI) CHEN 2023-2024
Si has been a News Researcher at the Associated Press in Shanghai for more than 4 years. She works with the international investigative team on in-depth reporting projects and jumps in on important news breaks in China. She covered a wide range of social topics, from labor rights, opioids abuses, and poverty alleviation, to the epidemic outbreak, testing kits and mask supply, zero-Covid policy, and Shanghai lockdown. She is a part of the team nominated as a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in the investigative category for the reporting that reflected China’s early mishandling of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Prior to Associated Press, Si was an Economic Affairs intern at the United Nations in New York headquarter, assisted with the research and plenary meetings at Committee for Development Policy, and collected data on the economic issues related to Least Development Countries.
After graduating from Harris, Si hopes to focus on international development policy and do more coverage and research that illuminates China’s process of social change and growing global influence.
Si has Bachelor's degrees in economics and journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, with a minor in mathematics and a multicultural studies certification.