Alum and Former ASG President Selected as Schwarzman Finalist

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J.P. Gairhan

J.P. Gairhan, a 2019 honors graduate from the University of Arkansas Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a Schwarzman Finalist. He interviewed for the scholarship earlier this month.

The award provides a year of graduate study at Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China’s premier institutions. If selected, Gairhan, a Cabot native, will have the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in Global Affairs, focused on three main areas:  China, global affairs, and leadership. 

The Schwarzman program was founded by Blackstone chairman, CEO and co-founder Stephen A. Schwarzman. 

“Being selected as a Schwarzman Finalist is an amazing honor,” said Gairhan. “The opportunity to study at Tsinghua University would be transformative. I greatly appreciate all those who supported me throughout the process and look forward to the steps ahead.”

The Schwarzman Scholarship, modeled on the Rhodes Scholarship, is intended to recognize academic and service accomplishments, as well as educate and prepare exceptional future leaders to confront the difficult challenges that the global community will face, and at the same time develop an understanding of China.

Schwarzman receives applications from across the globe and will enroll 145 “of the best students in the world.” Scholars are selected from a rigorous process. The foundation is looking for students with “academic ability, as well as leadership potential and strength of character.” Usually, students invited to interview would be leaving now for Beijing, London, New York, or Bangkok, but again this year they will be interviewing online.

As a student at the U of A, Gairhan supported the campus community in a variety of ways. He was the president of the Associated Student Government, the chairman of the Distinguished Lecture Committee, and director of campus safety. 

He received several awards including the University of Arkansas Henry Woods Student Leadership Award and the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Margaret Kirby Hantz Service Award. 

Gairhan also graduated cum laude with a degree in African and African American studies, history and political science from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. His undergraduate honors research mentor was Todd Cleveland, associate chair and director of graduate studies in history. 

Since graduation, Gairhan has worked with Congressman John Lewis as a staff assistant in Washington, D.C. and had the honor of being one of the first Fulbright English Teaching Assistants to Botswana. His community involvement has been extensive and includes training with Peace Corps in Panauti, Nepal, volunteering with AmeriCorps in Sunflower, Mississippi, and founding the Kgalagadi Women’s Empowerment Centre in Tsabong, Botswana. His future plans are to join the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a Foreign Service Officer specializing in youth development and education.

“As ASG President, J.P. Gairhan was instrumental in moving forward several important initiatives during his tenure,” said Chancellor Charles Robinson. “He was an effective leader, who was always service minded, and I enjoyed working with him, both when he was my student and in his official ASG capacities. He has continued to demonstrate this combination of leadership and service since his graduation in his work with Americorps and as a Fulbright U.S. Student Scholar in Botswana. He is a remarkable person who is very worthy of being selected as a Schwarzman Finalist.”

The scholarship is fully funded for all participants, including travel costs and a personal stipend, and is supported by the program’s endowment. Scholars will live and study together at Schwarzman College, the dedicated state-of-the-art academic and residential building built exclusively for the program at Tsinghua University.

About Schwarzman Scholars: Schwarzman Scholars is designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. Blackstone co-founder Stephen A. Schwarzman personally contributed $100 million to the program and is leading a fundraising campaign to raise an additional $350 million from private sources to endow the program in perpetuity. The $450 million endowment will support up to 200 scholars annually from the U.S., China, and around the world for a one-year Master’s Degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, an indispensable base for the country’s scientific and technological research. Scholars chosen for this highly selective program will live in Beijing for a year of study and cultural immersion, attending lectures, traveling, and developing a better understanding of China. Admissions to the Schwarzman campus opened in the fall of 2015, with the first class of students in residence in 2016.  Danielle Neighbour, a University of Arkansas civil engineering graduate in 2017 and was in the second class of Schwarzman Scholars.  

Students interested in applying for the Schwarzman Scholarship or other nationally competitive awards should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at 479-575-3771 or email awards@uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.