Recent graduate Barak Levitt, SIS/BA ’24, has been named a 2025 Yenching Scholar through the Yenching Academy at Peking University, a prestigious master’s degree program in China.

Levitt is one of 114 scholars in the 2025 cohort, who hail from 40 countries and regions around the world. Members of the cohort will enroll in the interdisciplinary China studies master’s program at Peking University starting in September. He is the second student in American University history to be selected for this prestigious program.

We caught up with Levitt to hear about his expectations for the program and how his SIS journey inspired his future plans.

Discovering New Interests

Levitt’s interest in international affairs began from a young age. Growing up in Israel, Levitt said witnessing the political landscape of the Middle East played a major role in his desire to study international relations.

“The Middle East and Israel are a hotbed for geopolitical tensions,” Levitt explained. “Seeing these things play out firsthand and witnessing this with my own eyes kind of bolstered my passion for wanting to mitigate dissension, bolster bilateral relations, and pursue a career oriented around conflict resolution and building bridges.”

When registering for classes during his first semester at the School of International Service, many of the classes that Levitt was initially interested in taking were full, so he decided to enroll in an SIS gateway course focused on China. It was in this class that Levitt discovered a profound interest in the multifaceted dynamics of East Asia and China.

“It’s funny how these ostensibly trivial or unimportant events in your life can cascade into something that really becomes important,” Levitt said. “If I didn’t take that gateway course on China, who knows if I would be doing my master’s in China.”

As Levitt’s interest in East Asia and China continued to grow, he took a “leap of faith” and decided to study abroad in Shanghai, China, for six months. Studying abroad significantly shaped Levitt’s undergraduate experience at SIS and opened his eyes to new perspectives.

“Going to China was such a special experience,” Levitt said. “I think what you realize when you go to China is how much [of what] you hear in the media isn't necessarily true about the country. There’s so much nuance and so much complexity that cannot really be portrayed in an Instagram story, in a post, or even in a news article.”

Next Chapter in China  

Levitt’s motivation to apply to Yenching Academy stemmed from several sources. For one, the opportunity to return to China and study alongside international affairs students from around the world seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Additionally, the program provided a unique opportunity to build on the foundational knowledge he acquired at SIS and develop a greater understanding of international politics at a time when US-China relations are at the forefront of “large scale tension between global superpowers,” Levitt said.

“With the way that the media and the 24-hour news cycle operates, you hear all these things about China,” Levitt said. “And to me, I felt like if I was going to be like a reliable orator or arbiter of what's going on in China and East Asia, I can't just simply do research on China or read books. I actually have to go to the country.”

As a scholar at Yenching Academy, Levitt will be pursuing a master of law in China studies with a focus on international relations and politics. During the two-year program, members of the 2025 cohort of Yenching Scholars will examine China’s past, present, and future through field studies, coursework, and independent research, according to Peking University.

While at Yenching Academy, Levitt says he hopes to continue pursuing his interests in the intersection of business and international relations while “carving out a niche at the crossroads of artificial intelligence and global affairs.”

Levitt credits his SIS experience for providing him with cultural competency and instilling a sense of adventure that gave him the courage to pursue his master’s overseas. As he prepares to depart for his studies abroad, he said he is most excited about “being in an intellectually stimulating environment with people who have totally different lived experiences.”

“I think a theme throughout my international relations and SIS experience is that everything is more nuanced and complex than people make it out to be,” Levitt said. “And the more you learn, the more complicated international geopolitical flashpoints get, and I think having the opportunity to meet all these different people who view the world completely different than me is only going to make me have a more nuanced understanding of the global order.”

Note: Students interested in applying for Yenching Academy can contact the Office of Merit Awards for more details about this opportunity.