Zeyu (Zachary) Cheng ’26

After completing my MBA at Fudan University in Shanghai, I was looking for something broader and deeper than a traditional business degree. Yale SOM’s mission of educating leaders for business and society really resonated with me. I wanted a program that could help me pivot into fintech and connect the business world with larger questions of societal and global impact.

China’s financial sector has been moving fast, and its scale and ambition are genuinely world-leading. But I wanted to explore hard questions facing the industry—how to grow financial systems responsibly, how to cultivate sound compliance frameworks and genuine care for all stakeholders, and how to devise solutions that are both innovative and ethical.

That’s what brought me to Yale SOM. The school’s long tradition of connecting business decisions to their broader impact on society gave me a place to ask those questions seriously. Eventually, I hope to bring the insights I’ve gained here back to China.

At SOM, I’ve been exploring the intersection of finance, consulting, and technology through clubs and coursework. Classes are really engaging and lively. Everyone is open-minded and interested in learning about different countries, cultures, and professional backgrounds. My favorite course has been The Global Financial Crisis with Professor Andrew Metrick. The format is unique, combining online lectures with interactive in-person sessions. You come to class having already studied the material, and use the time together to debate and engage with your peers.

The curriculum’s flexibility—and the opportunity to take classes across the university—has been a major benefit. I want to study management, but I also want to learn about computer science, politics, and international transactions. In that way, SOM has been more than just a business school. It’s a place where I’ve built an interdisciplinary mindset and prepared myself to work across sectors and borders.

In the Yale Law School course International Business Transactions, for example, Professor Amy Chua invites guest speakers from different backgrounds—like education, law, and project finance—to share their experiences on the topic. It’s pushed me to think beyond a narrow commercial framework and understand how deals and institutions work in the real world.

In the Master of Advanced Management program, you learn alongside future leaders from every corner of the world. Life in New Haven adds to the energy; the city is historic but full of movement, and Yale’s broader campus buzzes with talks, performances, and cross-community connections. You should come prepared, but also stay open-minded. Embrace all the new possibilities that arise along the way.