Mumbai : Manthan Shah, a fourth-year student of SP Jain’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program, has been selected to join the 2023 cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships. As a Schwarzman Scholar, Manthan will head to Beijing in August 2022 to commence a one-year master’s program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. 

From an initial pool of nearly 3,000 applicants, the admissions team selected 151 Schwarzman Scholars from 33 countries and 106 universities. Interview panelists include the former prime minister of Australia, a senator from the Malaysian parliament, the foreign minister of New Zealand, chairpersons, CEOs and MDs from leading multinational companies, and the dean of Schwarzman College.

Applicants for the prestigious fellowship are evaluated for their leadership qualities and potential to bridge political and cultural differences between China and other countries. Manthan will join an exceptional group of individuals, including a scholar who won NASA’s design competition, an award-winning journalist, a delegate at the latest UN General Assembly, a scholar who founded his own spacecraft systems company at 15, and several candidates on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. 

Speaking on his achievement, Manthan Shah said, “I am thankful to my professors at SP Jain for the support and guidance they provided during the selection process. I am interested in exploring the intersection of sustainable finance and public policy. This prestigious scholarship will provide me with the opportunity to delve deep into these topics and expose me to a strong community of global leaders. This will greatly help me reach my goal of helping India achieve its net-zero carbon emissions target by 2070.”

Prof. Golo Weber, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs at SP Jain said, “Manthan is a truly outstanding student who has achieved many firsts at SP Jain and done so with extraordinary humility, kindness and joy. I am thrilled that the Schwarzman scholarship will give him the opportunity to work with other brilliant changemakers on finding solutions to the world’s most urgent problems and creating a shared vision for a sustainable future.”

Born and raised in Ahmednagar, Manthan enrolled in SP Jain’s BBA program in September 2018. Manthan is a dean’s lister and recipient of the prestigious Global Citizenship Award at SP Jain. He is one of the youngest authors to be commissioned by Penguin Random House to write his first book ‘Unstoppable’, which will be published in February 2022. He is the producer and host of the Planet Impact podcast that shares stories of young changemakers. He is a twice former U-18 SGFI Indian table tennis champion and the youngest Indian to win a Spartan race trifecta after competing in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines in 2019.

During his time in Beijing, Manthan will have access to leading international faculty and global thought leaders. He will also gain exceptional exposure to China and access to the industry through lectures, internships, mentors, and workshops.