At the convergence of his upbringing in Northeast Ohio, his time at Ohio State and his early career in global affairs and manufacturing, Lucas Tai always felt called to a global career.
Tai, who graduated from the Fisher College of Business in 2023, recently completed his master’s of global affairs at Tsinghua University in China as part of the Schwarzman Scholars program.
The Schwarzman program fully funds students to live and study at Tsinghua for one year, centered around a core curriculum focused on leadership, China’s political, economic and social reform and future challenges in global governance. Tai is the first Ohio State student to be awarded a Schwarzman scholarship.
Tai was inspired to pursue the opportunity after a young career built in the Midwest and shaped through American manufacturing. During undergraduate internships at the United States Senate and at the White House Office of Management and Budget, along with post graduate positions in corporate strategy and government affairs at Ford Motor Company, he saw the importance of U.S.-China relations and wanted to gain a new understanding.
“I grew up in a household where my parents spoke to me in Chinese and I responded in English – China was always present in my upbringing, but also always at arm's length,” reflected Tai. “Schwarzman felt like the rare opportunity to close both gaps at once: to finally understand this country from the inside, and to reckon with the part of my own background I had never fully claimed.”
Although Tai noted that embracing the new culture and language was challenging to start, once he adjusted to the learning curve and got out into the community, he truly thrived in this new environment and was able to connect with his cohort and the local population.
“It was important for me to get out into Beijing – to experience its cuisine, immerse myself in an environment that has undergone rapid change in the past three decades and engage with people ranging from shopkeepers and taxi drivers to expats, to business executives and diplomats.”
Reflecting on his year abroad, Tai found that he is much more resilient than he originally thought. Through living and studying in a new country, he emerged with a greater understanding of his own identity and a shift in perspective about the United States and China.
“There is something that happens when you spend a year living outside the United States that is difficult to replicate any other way. You start to see your own country differently – its strengths more clearly, its blind spots more honestly. The assumptions that feel like common sense at home reveal themselves as choices, not facts. That is an uncomfortable realization, and also an irreplaceable one,” Tai said.
Tai certainly made the most of his time in China and in return participated in incredible experiences, like attending Formula 1 Shanghai with the chief strategy officer of Lenovo and meeting U.S. Ambassador David Perdue, and explored several of the surrounding cities and countries.
In the end, he came away with increased confidence and skills that he can take to any job he chooses to pursue next, while also laying the groundwork for more Buckeyes to study and live in China.
“I'll be honest – I wondered before I got to China whether a kid from Cleveland, via Columbus and Detroit, would belong among classmates from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc. The answer was yes. Unambiguously. Ohio State prepares you for any room.”