Peking University, September 9, 2026: Peking University's Guanghua School of Management has welcomed the seventh cohort of its Future Leaders International Undergraduate Program, bringing together 52 outstanding students from 21 countries and regions for two years of study in Beijing starting this fall.



This year's cohort was selected through a highly competitive process involving Guanghua's partner institutions. Alongside national scholarship recipients and student body leaders, the group includes poets, artists, musicians, and competitive athletes, as well as students with experience at startups and international consulting firms. Their academic interests span economics, life sciences, entrepreneurship, and international relations.


At the welcome ceremony, Associate Dean and Professor of Marketing Shen Qiaowei, Assistant Dean and Director of Global Affairs Mo Shujun, and cohort faculty advisor Lukas Hensel, an associate professor of applied economics, welcomed the students to Guanghua. Deans and program leaders from partner schools around the world sent welcome messages as well, marking the cohort's arrival as a shared milestone across the program's global network. 

Orientation week was designed to help students settle in quickly, both socially and academically, with career workshops, campus tours, team-building exercises, and a student buddy program pairing new arrivals with current Guanghua students. The week culminated in the opening ceremonies of Peking University and Guanghua School of Management, officially welcoming the new cohort into the PKU community.

For many in the cohort, the appeal lies in learning alongside peers from around the world while experiencing China firsthand. Giovanna, from Italy, is pursuing fluency in Chinese and hopes to immerse herself fully in campus life. Luca, from Germany, is drawn to China's fast-moving innovation and entrepreneurship scene. From Indonesia, Rahel wants a close-up view of China's economic growth — and lessons she can bring back home. And for Grégoire, who spent part of his childhood in Beijing and Hong Kong, the program is less a first encounter with China than a return, seen through new eyes.

Over the next two years, their learning will extend beyond Beijing and the classroom through field trips, practicums, and new friendships.

About the Future Leaders International Undergraduate Program
Launched by Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, the Future Leaders International Undergraduate Program partners with 15 leading business schools across 13 countries and regions. The program brings together outstanding students from partner institutions with selected Chinese students for the third and fourth years of their undergraduate education at Guanghua. Upon completion, students receive a Bachelor of Management degree from Peking University.

Learn more about the Future Leaders International Undergraduate Program: https://futureleaders.gsm.pku.edu.cn/

Source: Guanghua School of Management, Peking University
Edited by: Chen Shizhuo