CHICAGO, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- A student from U.S. University of Michigan has been selected as a 2019 Schwarzman Scholar and earns an opportunity to study for a master's degree at Tsinghua University in China next year, according to a report published on the school's website.

It is the first time a student from the University of Michigan will be part of the Schwarzman Scholars program that sends young leaders from around the world to China.

A total of 2,800 applicants worldwide competed for the appealing scholarship, but only around five percent of them were chosen.

"I am thrilled to be part of this selected group of people," said Eduardo Batista, a University of Michigan senior from Brazil who is studying business and cognitive science. "I've been always interested in having a better and deeper understanding of China, because of its influence in Brazil, in the United States and in the world."

Beginning in the fall of 2019, the 147 Schwarzman Scholars will study at Beijing's Tsinghua University for an academic year, graduating with a master's degree in global affairs.

Scholars will choose between concentrations in public policy, international studies, or economics, and they accompany their classroom studies with hands-on experience in their fields of interest. Students will also study Mandarin during their stay in China.

The Schwarzman Scholarships for graduate study in China were created in 2013 by private equity firm manager Stephen Schwarzman, who modeled them on the Rhodes Scholarships.

The program, housed in Schwarzman College at Tshingua University in Beijing, fully funds participants' expenses, including travel costs and a modest personal stipend.