Why Columbia? Fiona Hsin-Yu Liao

The future is made with vestiges of the past. This lesson was driven into me one day as I was reading about President of Taiwan Ma Ying-Jeou’s strategy of “No reunification, no independence and no war”. What impressed me about President’ Ma’s strategy, which has led to improved economic and political relations between China and Taiwan, is that he used lessons from the past to propel Taiwan citizens to new levels of prosperity. Only through the study of history and past human endeavors can society continue to push the limits of knowledge and sustain a humanity with, hopefully, fewer conflicts and catastrophes.

Columbia alone offers me the chance to participate in this future-making. First as an individual: only at Columbia could I receive the best possible education in history and foundational texts through the Core while being mentored into a global citizen ready to influence the world by avant-garde economist and Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz or former U.N Assistant Secretary-General Michael Doyle. Then as part of a larger society: only at Columbia could I delve into the past of the world by connecting mentally and psychologically with peers of all races and backgrounds while continuing to push into the future through...