The University of Texas at Austin (UT) has announced that Sebastian De Beurs, a Dutch immigrant and 2019 Presidential Scholar graduate with bachelor's degrees in Plan II Honors and Government, has been awarded the prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship. De Beurs, who co-founded Healis Therapeutics after his tenure at Boston Consulting Group, will now be part of a fully-funded program focused on enhancing participants' understanding of China and nurturing leadership skills.
According to a press release by UT, De Beurs learned about the program during his studies at the university. To prepare for the interview process, he worked closely with the Undergraduate College's Office of Distinguished and Postgraduate Scholarships under the guidance of Dr. Douglas Bruster and Dr. Tina Thomas.
"UT sparked my American dream," De Beurs said in a statement released by UT. "As a newcomer who grew up in a small town in the Netherlands, I found a warm, entrepreneurial community at UT. UT inspired me to dream big, start my first biotech company and work hard to make the world a healthier place. Above all, the Forty Acres taught me that we can shape our future. I’m excited to take that with me to China as a Schwarzman Scholar."
Inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship established in 1902, the Schwarzman Scholars program seeks to foster international understanding and peace. According to information provided by Schwarzman Scholars on their About webpage, this initiative annually sponsors up to 200 scholars from the U.S., China, and around the globe. It offers a one-year master's program in global affairs at Beijing's Tsinghua University where selected participants reside for a year engaging in academic study and cultural immersion.
In another statement released by UT, De Beurs expressed his aspirations as he embarks on this journey: "As a biotech entrepreneur, I hope to better understand China and contribute a more global perspective to the development of medicine that can benefit all of us."