Duke Team​

Isabel Shew
Director 
Isabel is a junior at Duke University majoring in Public Policy. Born and raised in Northern Virginia, she has always been fascinated by the policy-making process and international affairs. Her interest in China began after participating in a virtual NSLI-Y immersion program for Mandarin Chinese. Isabel is most curious about US-China relations surrounding Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and hopes to explore this topic more at CLS.

James Wang
Deputy Director
James is a sophomore at Duke University majoring in Economics with a concentration in Finance, and minoring in Earth & Climate Sciences. Born and raised in a Chinese household in New Jersey, he has always been exposed to both Chinese and American culture and ideologies. This has fueled his keen interest in the economic, political, and cultural ties between the United States and China. In his free time, James enjoys playing the piano and oboe, composing, exploring aviation, and watching sci-fi movies and shows.

Sam St. Lawrence
Fundraising Chair
Sam St. Lawrence is a sophomore at Duke University studying Economics and International Comparative Studies with a regional focus on China and East Asia. Their interests lie in economic development and global power dynamics. Currently, Sam is involved in a Bass Connections research project focusing on the policies and economics of nuclear residential heating in China. In her free time, Sam enjoys reading, baking, and crocheting.

Anson Chen
Logistics Chair
​Xuan (Anson) Chen is a Master of Public Policy student at Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy. He completed his undergraduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in Asian Studies with minors in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Real Estate. After immigrating to the U.S. at age 8, he continued learning Mandarin and deepened his knowledge of Chinese culture and history. In his free time, he enjoys practicing Chinese calligraphy.

Diego Ge
PubIicity Chair
Diego is a sophomore from Shanghai studying Political Science & International Comparative Studies at Duke. He has engaged with civil society and nonprofit spaces across Greater China and the US, and hopes to pursue further research on transnational activism, border governance and politics from below in the context of Global China & Southeast Asia moving forward. He's travelled to 22 countries and hopes to visit more countries across the Global South in the future. In his free time, he also likes to cook and experiment with cuisines from all across the world. 

Jasmine Fan
Publicity Team 
​Jasmine is a current Duke sophomore from California majoring in Public Policy. Her interest in U.S.-China relations, politics, and cultures stem from her love of perusing foreign news outlets and experiences growing up in a bilingual household. Through CLS, she hopes to further explore foreign policy and diplomacy. In her free time, she enjoys writing, listening to music, and skateboarding.

Liane Ma
Logistics Team 
Liane is a sophomore at Duke from North Carolina studying Statistical Science and Financial Economics. She is interested in international law and economics, particularly in the US-China context, influenced by her bilingual background. Beyond the China Leadership Summit, Liane is also involved in Duke Chinese Dance and the Undergraduate Law Review. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano and exploring new restaurants. 

Alayna Shu
Logistics Team
Alayna is a freshman at Duke University, intending to major in Economics with a minor in Environmental Science & Policy. As a dual citizen of Hong Kong and the United States, she is particularly interested in how the dynamic relationship and tensions between the world’s two largest economies—China and the United States—will shape the global economic landscape. The summer before starting at Duke, she interned at a hedge fund focused on ESG investments. Outside of CLS, Alayna enjoys playing the violin and is a part of the Duke Symphony Orchestra. 

​Ryan Si
Fundraising Team 
Ryan is a sophomore at Duke University majoring in Economics and Political Science, with a minor in philosophy. He initially became interested in U.S.-China relations amidst the increase in sinophobic language and rhetoric during Covid-19, and has since expanded this interest through research. At the moment, his primary interest is still how rhetorical tactics from U.S. and Chinese politicians, media outlets, and citizens influence perception and cooperation between the two countries. In his free time, Ryan enjoys folding origami, playing piano, and drinking boba.

Taran Srikonda
Fundraising Team 
Taran is a freshman at Duke who is planning on majoring in electrical engineering and computer science. He was born and raised in Northern Virginia and was always interested in the policy and legislation-making processes. Taran is most curious about policy revolving around technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Beyond academia, Taran enjoys spending time with his friends and family and enjoying a variety of cuisines.

Justin Zou
Fundraising Team
Justin is a sophomore at Duke, studying Political Science and Economics. He was born in Hefei, China, and moved to Shanghai after junior high. After coming to the US, he first studied at Washington University in St. Louis and then transferred to Duke. Living in different regions of both countries inspired his interest in navigating the differences and similarities between cultures. During his free time, Justin enjoys stand-up comedy, working out, and watching movies!

UNC Team​

Jack Huo
Director 
Jack is a Junior majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics at UNC. Raised under a strong multicultural Chinese-American environment, he likewise has a deep appreciation for cross-cultural exchange and its relation with the broader Sino-U.S. geopolitical landscape. In promoting this exchange, he has tutored American history to Chinese students, and he is also a performer and the Design Chair for Flying Silk, a traditional Chinese dance team at UNC. In his free time, he likes to play the piano, cook, swim, and read novels.

Yingning Sang 
Deputy Director
​Born and raised in Nanjing, China, Yingning is currently a Senior at UNC majoring in biology and economics with a minor in chemistry. Aspired to pursue a career in healthcare, she is interested in how the U.S.-China relationship impacts the global healthcare system, specifically, on the effects on various communities the conflicts and agreements that the two countries reached have. During her free time, Yingning enjoys dancing, reading, and baking sweet treats with her friends.

Alex Feng
Logistics Chair
Alex is a Junior studying mathematics and computer science at UNC Chapel Hill. He is passionate about the multilateral relations impacted by the contention between China and the United States. Having been with CLS since his freshman year, he is excited to lead his team in creating a higher quality experience next spring.

Matthew Shen
Fundraising Chair, Treasurer 
Matthew is a Sophomore at UNC, pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Statistics. His passion is for international economics, specifically China's role in the ever-changing global markets. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, going for runs, and reading Chinese poetry.

Kyle Chan
Publicity Chair
Kyle is a Junior at UNC majoring in Biostatistics & Asian Studies. Having lived in Raleigh, Vancouver, Beijing, and Hong Kong, Kyle values cultural exchange and strives to share the perspectives of a global citizen. He previously had experience conducting research with faculty at Dartmouth College on demographic drivers in the Chinese economy. He is interested in soft power, education and public health policies, and the Mainland-Hong Kong relations. In his free time, Kyle enjoys watching historical Chinese Dramas, traveling, and playing the cello and piano.

Ana Altman 
Logistics Team 
Ana Altman is from Raleigh, NC, and is a Senior majoring in Global Studies and Information Science with a minor in Russian at UNC. Ana is interested in US-China relations and how Russia and the former Soviet Union region play a part in these relations. Outside of school, she loves reading, crocheting, and taking pictures of her cats. 

Yufei(Cynthia) Li
Logistics Team
​Yufei (Cynthia) Li is a Junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, double majoring in Economics and Statistics with a minor in Business. Her interests lie in investment management, risk analysis, and U.S.-China financial relations, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges of cross-border investment regulations. Drawing from her internships in strategic investment analysis and research on risk modeling, Yufei aims to bridge the financial sectors of both nations. In her free time, she enjoys singing, cooking, and exploring Chinese philosophy.

Nico Wang
Logistics Team 
Nico Wang is a first-year economics major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Born in China but raised in America, he has experienced life on both sides of the hemisphere with deep ties to both the United States and China. He wishes to explore the ever-changing economic policies between the two countries, along with how it has changed over time and what impacts they had on the average citizen.

Alan Zhao
Fundraising Team 
Alan Zhao is a Sophomore from Dallas, Texas, majoring in Business with minors in PPE and Chinese. This past summer, he interned at a real estate development project in Dallas, deepening his interest in the intersection of real estate and international markets. He also traveled to Singapore, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Yunnan to further explore Sino-culture. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and pickleball, watching Christopher Nolan movies, and trying new restaurants.

Erxin (Alina) Wang
Fundraising Team 
Erxin (Alina) Wang is a Sophomore at UNC, where she is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Economics. As an international student, she is deeply passionate about global mental health, particularly in relation to medical and healthcare systems. Her academic interests likely stem from a desire to understand how economic and psychological principles can intersect to improve global healthcare access, mental health resources, and policy. Beyond CLS, Alina loves photography, especially film photography, which has taught her to enjoy delayed gratification.

Jordi Bartolome
Publicity Team 
Jordi Bartolome is a Freshman at UNC Chapel Hill, double majoring in Global Studies and Economics with a minor in Chinese language. Jordi was born in Singapore and raised in Chapel Hill, NC. He is passionate about international relations, with a focus on relations between the US, Latin America, and China. Jordi is fluent in Spanish and has studied Chinese for over seven years. He has also studied abroad in South Korea and Spain. He has worked to foster Chinese studies in NC by participating in programs such as UNC STARTALK. Outside of school, Jordi is an avid runner and tennis player and enjoys traveling.

Sophia Shen
Publicity Team 
Sophia is a freshman at UNC majoring in Political Science and Data Science. As a Chinese student studying in the US, she is interested in the different perspectives regarding China-US relations. With the rise of AI technology, she is curious about how these two global powers will navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. During her internship at China Thinkers Bureau, a Beijing-based speaker agency, she learned that cooperation can be fostered through open dialogue, and thus wants to continue her efforts at CLS. During her free time, she loves playing badminton, watching scary variety shows, and going out with friends.

Chloe Cheung
Attendee Relations Chair
Chloe Cheung is a Junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Data Science and Global Studies with a minor in History. Chloe is interested in utilizing data to explore how historical events influence today’s business landscape. Her goal is to keep learning and collaborate with others to create impactful data-driven solutions.

Andrew Moua
Senior Advisor
Andrew Moua is a second-year master's student at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in the Information Science program with a concentration in Data Science, Data Analytics, and Databases. Born in Saint Paul, MN, he was drawn to the China Leadership Summit for a combination of reasons- his undergraduate studies in International Relations in tandem with his service in the United States Air Force as a photojournalist allows for the contribution of a unique perspective combined with practical experience and academic theory. He hopes to leverage his skills and talents for a career as a political analyst with a focus in foreign policy and defense where he hopes to mitigate and deter conflict and promote peace between the US and China. Off the clock, he can usually be found reading or hiking in the state parks of North Carolina.

Dorian Ho 
Senior Advisor
Dorian Ho is a Robertson Scholar and Senior at UNC majoring in Health Policy and Management. He is interested in the intersection of health delivery, global health, and foreign affairs. Based on his experiences researching and implementing a new means of STD test delivery in southern China, he hopes to explore the US-China relationship through academic collaboration and social innovation. In his free time, he can be found reading existentialist literature, practicing chamber music, and improving his Cantonese.