QS World Grad School Tour Scholarship Winners 2011

The four lucky winners of the QS World Grad School Tour Scholarship 2011 have been announced. In its endeavour to promote prospective postgraduates to study abroad, QS offers educational scholarships for those with distinguishing talent and spark. Each year, four scholarships are awarded to select students who attend the QS World Grad School Tour. These are: the QS Leadership Scholarship ($10,000), QS Scholarship for Academic Excellence ($10,000) and two QS Community Scholarships ($2,000 each).

David McClelland, manager, QS World Grad School Tour, says, “QS Scholarships embrace diversity, encourage talent and offer brilliant opportunities to deserving students. We encourage all students participating in the QS World Grad School Tour to apply for the QS Scholarship.” The winners of this year’s QS Scholarship awards are: Ana Aguilera, Hui Wang, Petros Perselis and María Carolina Duran. An introduction…

Name: Ana Aguilera

Country of origin: Venezuela

Winner of: QS Leadership Scholarship ($10,000)

Graduate Program: Master in Public Policy (MPP) Program

Institution of Study: University of Chicago (Harris School of Public Policy Studies)

Ana Aguilera’s determination to excel in her field of subjects is fuelled by her personal commitment to public service and a desire to gain expertise in addressing challenging situations in her home country Venezuela. She says, “Becoming a winner of your prestigious scholarship is a key element in order to lead this change in my country.” She feels that the MPP program will help her develop strong quantitative and organizational abilities, sharpen her analytical skills necessary for addressing challenging public policy issues and help her pursue her long-lasting commitment to public service. She says, “In the long-run, I expect to contribute to the development of cities in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing expertise to leaders and governments aware of the need of redefining the economic, productive and social strategy of their communities.”

Name: Hui Wang

Country of origin: China

Winner of: QS Scholarship for Academic Excellence ($10,000)

Graduate Program: MSc in Global Health and Population

Institution of Study: Harvard University (School of Public Health)

Hui Wang (23) is a self-motivated girl with an interest in medicine which she inherited from her family. However, while studying medicine at Peking University, China, she realised the importance of public health policies when she was informed by a journalist friend that peasants in her country could hardly afford to see a doctor because of high costs of medical facilities. She then decided to combine the subjects of health with economics to be able to find realistic solutions to public health problems.

She believes that doing an MSc in Global health and Population from Harvard will provide her precious insight into health care issues and reforms. “Its world-class faculty and interdisciplinary approach will offer me invaluable experience to analyze population and health issues in both developed and developing countries.” She feels that the course will prepare her to embark on a lifelong journey of finding answers to complicated public health problems. “I hope more people in China, if not all, can benefit from a more guaranteed health system, without worrying about the cost of treatment,” she says.

Name: María Carolina Duran

Country of Origin: Colombia

Winner of: QS Community Scholarship ($2,000)

Graduate Program: LLM in International Business and Economic Law

Institution of Study: Georgetown University

After completing her undergraduate degree in Law from Universidad De Los Andes, Colombia, María’s interest in international law inspired her to apply to an LLM program abroad. She says, “Georgetown University is one of the best in the world and the program has incredible professors.”

Through her studies and planned-career path, María desires to find “possible solutions for development and poverty issues that Colombia and other countries in the world encounter.” She says, “The LLM program will help me understand in depth the issues which currently hold Colombia’s development and problems faced in international trade around the world.” She aims to work in the US for 1-2 years and then work for international organisations such as the World Bank or UNCTAD before moving back to her homeland and working with the Colombian government in the process of policy making.

Name: Petros Perselis

Country of origin: Greece

Winner of: QS Community Scholarship ($2,000)

Graduate Program: MSc in Management Science and Engineering

Institution of Study: Stanford University

Personal achievement and social awareness are high on Petros’ agenda. It was while interning at a London-based asset management and research firm that this engineering student developed an interest in finance. Furthermore, the financial crisis of Greece intensified his passion in the subject. That is why he decided to pursue a master’s program in finance and decision-making. “By studying at Stanford, I will gain significant expertise of financial and decision-making tools coupled with unique skill sets of leadership, interpersonal skills and entrepreneurial spirit. I intend to use them to build a career in finance industry.” Petros aims to be either an advisor to the government of Greece on developmental issues or start his own consultancy business in the future.