Students named UNC Phillips Ambassadors to study in Asia

Three undergraduates from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School were selected as Phillips Ambassadors for spring 2018 study abroad programs in Asia.

The business students selected as Phillips Ambassadors are:

• Jared Noble (BSBA ’19) will study through the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School in Hong Kong.
• Schuyler Tanous (BSBA ’19) will study through the Chulalongkorn Business School in Thailand.
• Kailyn M. Akers (BA ‘19) will study through the Korea University Business School in South Korea. She is a media and journalism major and a business minor.

The Phillips Ambassadors Program is part of UNC’s Carolina Asia Center, in association with the UNC Study Abroad Office. Phillips Ambassadors each receive $5,000 toward the cost of a UNC-approved study abroad program in Asia. They are selected for academic achievement, strong communications skills, intellectual curiosity and ambition, evidence of generous service to campus and community, and a previous record of leadership.

Earl N. “Phil” Phillips Jr (BSBA ’62) and his family established an endowment to create program, which is intended to generate greater interest in Asia among UNC students. Phillips has worked and traveled in Asia for more than 30 years and is a former U.S. Ambassador to the eastern Caribbean.

“Our goal with this gift has been to encourage more students to spend their study abroad experiences focused on Asia – an increasingly vital region of the future,” said Phillips, who splits his time between High Point and Chapel Hill.

Phillips Ambassadors enroll in a global studies course designed uniquely for them. Led by Carolina faculty, the course challenges students to explore their study abroad locale in significant detail and seek understanding of the region in a global context.

A distinguishing feature of the program is for students to “Give Back” by sharing their experiences in Asia with the Carolina community and their hometowns. They give back in the form of published articles, classroom presentations at their hometown high schools, photo and art exhibitions, musical performances and group projects focused on Asia.

Since the Phillips Ambassadors Program began in 2007, it has supported 300 undergraduates studying abroad in Asia. Twenty-five percent of the scholarships are reserved for qualified Undergraduate Business majors and minors from UNC Kenan-Flagler. Several scholarships are available to qualified Duke University undergraduates. Scholarship recipients choose from more than 70 UNC-approved academic programs in Asia that are offered by the College of Arts & Sciences and UNC Kenan-Flagler.