David Benger ’14 has been named to the first cohort of Schwarzman scholars, an organization inspired by the Rhodes scholarship and funded by Co-Founder of Blackstone Stephen Schwarzman. Schwarzman scholars will receive a one-year Master’s degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. It is the “first scholarship created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century,” according to organization’s website. The Schwarzman Scholarship curriculum aims to build the student’s leadership qualities as well as increase the student’s knowledge of China in a global context.

Benger majored in Politics and Russian, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He participated in the Brandeis in the Hague study abroad program, where he worked as a legal assistant. He has also worked in the New York District Attorney’s office. Benger plans to go to law school after studying in Beijing. His long-term career goal is to become an advocate for international legal institutions.

Three thousand students applied for the Schwarzman scholarship, out of which only 100 were selected. The organization intends to select 200 scholars each year, with 45 percent of students from the United States, 20 percent from China and the remaining 35 percent from other countries. The college’s building at the Tsinghua campus is LEED gold certified, the first academic building in China to receive this certification.