Yajie Xu Awarded 2025- 2026 CEW+ Scholarship

Yajie Xu, a master’s student in International and Regional Studies (MIRS) at the University of Michigan, has been awarded the 2025–26 Margaret Dow Towsley Scholarship from the Center for the Education of Women+ (CEW+) in recognition of her outstanding academic promise and research on China–Africa relations.

Yajie explores grassroots Sino-African interactions through anthropological and feminist lenses. she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology.

Specializing in Chinese studies, Xu explores grassroots Sino-African interactions through anthropological and feminist lenses. With six years of professional experience, She has conducted research in diverse contexts: in East Africa and China, observing meaningful connections and racial tensions between the African and Chinese communities; in South Asia and the Middle East, studying the experiences of domestic and migrant workers situated at the intersections of citizenship, race, and gender; and in Southeast Asia, examining Indigenous communities’ struggles with modernization, deforestation, and cultural preservation in the context of global capitalism and domestic politics.

Alongside this work, Yajie has organized public workshops, published articles, designed educational programs, and volunteered for vulnerable communities. Most recently, in the summer of 2025, she conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Nairobi, Kenya, exploring how Chinese businesswomen navigate gendered and racialized power dynamics both within the diaspora community and in their daily interactions with Kenyan society.

Coming from a rural, working-class family, Yajie is the first in her family to attend college. Looking ahead, Yajie plans to pursue a Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology and continue her research on Sino-African interactions. Her long-term vision is to become a publicly engaged anthropologist, using research, knowledge production, and education to bridge divides and foster solidarity across social boundaries.

Established in 1964, CEW+ was one of the nation’s pioneering university women’s centers. Originally created to support women returning to school or work, it now serves all University of Michigan students, staff, faculty, and community members who face challenges in education, employment, or other life issues. CEW+ proudly celebrates Yajie Xu’s achievement and her commitment to socially engaged research that connects people and perspectives across continents.

(The main content of this post is adapted from CEW+)