For a fourth consecutive year, a cohort of NYU Shanghai students have been awarded a Millennium Fellowship from the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and Millennium Campus Network (MCN), kickstarting a four-month journey of designing individual projects that address UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 23 selected students join over 5,500 Millennium Fellows who hail from 60 countries and territories and represent 330 campuses, standing out among a record-breaking pool of over 76,000 applicants from over 6,000 campuses worldwide.
“The fellowship supports students with mentorship, resources, and a global network as they develop their projects,” said English for Academic Purposes Senior Lecturer Katherine Tosi, who teaches a course on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and will advise the fellows. "Over the years, I’ve seen students transform into confident changemakers, ready to put their ideas into action," she said.
Through bi-weekly training sessions on campus, the fellows will sharpen their leadership, project management, and collaborating skills as well as gain career and philanthropy insights from social impact leaders. On weekends, they’ll network with other Millennium Fellows worldwide as they work towards bringing their project ideas to life.
Millennium Fellowship Campus Directors Ina Lee ’27 and Cindy Zhang Xintian ’29 are responsible for facilitating each training session and supporting their peers while completing their own individual projects.
Lee—a social sciences major (international relations) from Seoul, South Korea, whose project is on building migrant-centered housing policies—says the role requires her to be an advocate for her peers and connect them with whoever might be best suited to guide them with their projects. “My biggest priority is to be a supporter for the rest of the fellows, to be someone they can rely on and come to,” she said. “Empathetic, open communication is what allows us to learn from one another and grow together.”
Cindy Zhang Xintian ’29, a biology major from Shanghai, says the role is training her in leadership responsibilities. “I see myself growing more confident in communication and presentation, more organized and professional… and more aware of how to speak to people and take the initiative as a leader,” she said. Her project focuses on promoting sustainable physical and mental health practices through surveys and educational social media posts, as well as inviting guests for workshops and podcasts—from biology professors to Chinese traditional medicine specialists.
Zhang says having a global community to connect with through the fellowship has been a great support. “I envision that my project will inspire more people to be aware of their health…while enjoying the process and making taking care of our body a long-term habit.”
In addition, 2026 Millennium Fellow Maïlys Oka, a data science major from France, is also one of 11 student scholars in the world to be selected for the Coach Dream It Real x Coachtopia Scholarship—a collaboration between Coach Foundation, Coachtopia, and Millennium Campus Network (MCN).
The scholarship empowers undergraduate students from historically-underrepresented communities who are committed to advancing sustainability and circularity, particularly within the fashion industry. Oka is NYU Shanghai’s third recipient in three years, and her project explores sustainability and cultural influence in fashion and uniforms.
Oka has been passionate about studying fiber physics since high school and has been deepening her research on fabric composition, brand transparency, hoping to address fast fashion greenwashing while guiding younger generations to shop smarter.
“I’m targeting young people who feel pressured to follow trends and fast fashion but want sustainable, affordable alternatives,” she said. “The goal is to help people easily make better choices, leading to more responsible consumption that could, in the long term, influence companies to produce better products.”
The project originated through the First-Year Fellowship Circle, a spring semester program run by the Office of Global Awards that offers one-on-one research mentorship from faculty members in a student’s field of interest. Maïlys worked closely with GPS Fellow Kalyani Ramachandran, who described her as “a genuine creative talent with a strong social consciousness.”
Oka says the programs give her the guidance and credibility to create something of real impact—a professional initiative rather than a student hobby. “We were chosen for our ideas, and that trust gives us the confidence and the means to take them further,” she said. “Being surrounded by like-minded people whose ideas inspire me is the best environment I could ask for to grow my project.”
Ying Chen, coordinator at the Office of Global Awards and Academic Affairs, congratulated all the fellows. “Through concrete actions, these students are exploring ‘what can be done’ and ‘how to do it’ to address challenges and drive local and global impact in a rapidly-changing world,” she said. “We are confident that this present and engaged community will drive meaningful change.”
Along with the 23 fellows based in Shanghai, NYU Shanghai juniors Ewan Peng, Garciel Pu, Joanna Cao, Yanxi Chen, and Shangyue Shi will also be joining Millennium Fellowship cohorts at NYU in New York or NYU Abu Dhabi during their study-away semesters.
“We are thrilled to see the fellows’ collaborations starting up,” said Director of Global Awards Anna Kendrick, who is on the MCN Civic Learning Council. “We look forward to working with the fellows and campus directors to host a dynamic Millennium showcase of burgeoning ideas, initiatives, and insights later this fall.”
NYU Shanghai Millennium Fellows and their projects as listed on Millennium Fellowship 2026: New York University, Shanghai
Qin Xiyuan - Break the Silence
Cindy Zhang Xintian - Take Care Of Our Body
Zhang Zhanqi - Democratized Platform for University Information
Mailys Oka - Mindful Fibers
Hayk Ter-Matevosyan - Nexus Tavush
Sang Yiran - Saving The Third Pole
Sazhida Mukanbetkaliyeva - Seen and Heard
Zhou Zhuoer - Seen and Heard
Messi Mei Hexi - AI-Enhanced Model UN Education
Cai Jiaxi - UniCare Bridge
Miao Linxiao - Aisthetics
Hao Yue - UniCare Bridge
Guo Kaiyi - Democratized Platform for University Information
Darya Alexandrovna Tsay - EverSafe
Yang Xiruo - Concept Change Towards Stray Cats
Gift Ling Seiiy Lin - The Equal Access Project
Bao Chenhan - Democratized Platform for University Information
Zhou Lingyue - Inside Out
Ina Lee - The Investment Divide: Migration and the Making of Global Housing Markets
Meng Xinyi - Inside Out
Ma Yike - Students Against Poaching Initiative
Learn more about past Millennium Fellows, including the 2025, 2024 and the 2023 cohorts. For information and advice on applying for external scholarships and fellowships during or after your time at NYU Shanghai, contact the Global Awards & Fellowships office.