“A precious opportunity” – Chinese PhD scholars build momentum
Philanthropy in action in the Year of the Horse
LSE’s founding purpose is to know the causes of things for the betterment of society and that purpose is evident every day across multiple departments and disciplines in the studies of our aspiring doctoral students. They are trailblazers who are building new knowledge and developing new ways of understanding.
As the world prepares to welcome the Year of the Horse this Lunar New Year, we caught up with several Chinese PhD scholarship recipients to hear about their research ambitions and the impact of scholarship support.
Yang Yang, PhD Mathematics, Enlighten PhD Scholarship Programme
"What drew me to LSE wasn’t a single discipline, but a way of thinking. LSE’s academic culture—and its motto, to know the causes of things—aligns closely with my mindset.
"My work focuses on developing more efficient algorithms for resource allocation, helping organisations assign items to the people who need them most. It’s about improving both fairness and efficiency. With better algorithms, companies and individuals can make faster, more effective decisions.
"LSE has helped me understand how many challenges arise from how societies function, and how mathematical tools can help address them. Whether I stay in academia or move into industry, I hope to use what I’ve learned here to tackle real‑world problems and benefit society.
"I’m sincerely grateful to LSE for the opportunity to study here and learn from people from so many backgrounds."
I'm trying to develop a better and more efficient algorithm for resource allocation.
Meng Shao, PhD Anthropology, Enlighten PhD Scholarship Programme
"My research examines how ethnic communities in China navigate environmental change, economic development, and its risks. By working closely with indigenous communities, I hope to offer grounded insights into how development can be more inclusive and sustainable—especially amid increasing climate pressures.
"Thank you to LSE for enriching my academic journey and broadening my horizons in such a dynamic and intellectually stimulating environment."
Quite challenging but also dynamic and thought‑provoking.
Yihan Wei, PhD Gender, LSE China Scholarship Council
"Following studies in Comparative Literature and Art History at the University of Hong Kong and Film and Screen Studies at Cambridge, I continued to the PhD to explore the intersection of Chinese women’s cinema and medical humanities, and how illness narratives may offer alternative understandings of women’s agency and subjectivity. My goal is to help bridge cinema studies with medical humanities and connect literary narratives with social‑science perspectives.
"Thank you to LSE for giving me the opportunity to engage with cutting‑edge research on feminist narratives and gender studies."
I wish to contribute to the gap between cinema studies and medical humanities.
Hanqi Wang, PhD Statistics, Lee Family PhD Scholarship
"Focusing on data science will not only advance my career—it may also allow me to contribute to society through work on large language models. When policymakers use data‑driven insights from projects like mine, decisions can become more structured and evidence‑based.
"I’m grateful to LSE for the chance to pursue my PhD and for the generous scholarship that makes it possible."
I can make a little bit of progress in the area of large language models.
Thank you to all our donors for enabling deserving students to benefit from an LSE education. Your investment in scholarships empowers those who will Shape the World we all need.
Tomorrow’s changemakers need your support today. Will you help shape the world we all need?