The Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch Fellowships in Asian Studies
About the Fellowships
It is important for America to continue to train future leaders with strong expertise in Asia. The JCB Fellowships will nurture the next generation of Asian specialists and Asia-engaged leaders in the U.S. by encouraging student research on Asia, particularly China, and its important relationship to the United States.
These competitive awards are open to undergraduate students at specific institutions, beginning in 2023 with students at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Miami. The awards will provide each fellow with $1500 to complete a research project on strategic, political, economic, or socio-cultural issues related to Asia.
Meet the 2025-26 Fellows:
George Washington University Cohort
Jonathan Geyer is a first-year graduate student in Asian Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs. His project explores China’s use of green technology diplomacy with Pacific Island Nations. Specifically, it looks at China’s use of juncao (菌草, “mushroom grass”) technology, which can support sustainable agriculture in the difficult conditions created by climate change. The research will utilize interviews and quantitative analysis to investigate this subject area, and will additionally discuss the potential for U.S. and Taiwanese engagement in their own green technology diplomacy in the Pacific.
Tianyi Xiao is a second-year graduate student in International Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs, focusing on international economic policy and sustainable development. Guided by a commitment to advance U.S.–China cooperation in global climate and environmental governance, her research examines Global North–South climate partnerships, and how climate finance, global market regulatory standards, and technological innovation can improve environmental outcomes and livelihoods.
University of Miami Cohort
Clara Foulon is an undergraduate student at the University of Miami pursuing a double bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Communication Studies. Having grown up in Shanghai, China, she witnessed firsthand the government’s crisis management during the 2022 lockdown, an experience that sparked her interest in governance, resilience, and public perception during national crises.
Her research examines how COVID-19 served as a “cannon event” that deepened China’s existing economic and social pressures. Combining qualitative methods and literature analysis, she explores China’s political landscape by tracing its historical evolution and analyzing current challenges through key indicators in sectors such as real estate, employment, education, media, and public attitudes toward “foreignness” in daily life. Ultimately, Clara’s project considers China’s potential future trajectories—from assertive foreign policy to protectionist or expansionist strategies.
Christian Milford Ortiz is an undergraduate student at the University of Miami, where he is pursuing a double major in Political Science and History with a minor in Chinese. His academic work focuses on the development of socialist thought and labor movements in Latin America and the evolving role of the People’s Republic of China as a producer and transmitter of political and ideological frameworks in the global context.
Through this fellowship, he hopes to further refine his analytical work and prepare for future graduate study, with the goal of contributing to deeper academic understanding of China’s role in shaping contemporary global political discourse.