Scott Allen '00

About Scott

Scott Allen was the first graduate of the Asian concentration within the international studies department.  In 1999 he studied abroad in China at Capitol Normal University and Nanjing University.

While at Richmond, Scott founded the campus chapter of the Sierra Club and interned with Friends of the Chesapeake and the Sierra Club.  He was also the campus representative for the National Outdoor Leadership School and a member of the Model United Nations Club.

Scott now lives in Shanghai and works as a consultant for BearingPoint Global Development Center. 


Personal Statement

While studying abroad in China I had the opportunity to study in two ancient capitals and travel to Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, the Three Gorges Dam, and the Burmese border.  Not only was I exposed to a diverse and centuries-old culture but was allowed to see the poverty, rapid development and environmental destruction that makes Asia what it is today.  This experience drew me back to the Asian continent after graduation from UR and this is where I have made my home for the past 8 years.  My studies with professors like Dr. Stephen Addiss, Rose Tan and Dr. Vincent Wang, allowed me to focus my interests into a coherent degree and paved the way for my career in Asia. 

The interdisciplinary approach to the Asian concentration within the international studies department allowed me to combine courses in various disciplines to create a well-rounded liberal arts approach, not unlike the Core classes every freshman is required to complete.  Not only was I writing about Dostoevsky, the Koran and Addiss's Tao te Ching but my international studies at Richmond gave me the opportunity to integrate myself with The Art of War, the Bhagavad Gita, the Diamond Sutra, and even Mao's "Little Red Book." 

My professors helped me develop my language skills, understand the political and economic development of societies completely foreign to mine, and gave me a vision and desire to explore diverse and curious environments.  Without this influence and experience I cannot imagine how unfulfilled my life would be today. 

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