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Yu Zhou, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been named a winner of the 2011 Davis Projects for Peace.

Zhou is the creator of Young Scholars International, a project that helps UNC students studying abroad enrich their international experience by implementing self-designed seminars in local high schools. Young Scholars International will receive $10,000 in funding for project implementation for the summer of 2011.

“Each UNC participant will have an opportunity to facilitate a discussion about an area of knowledge that they have studied and are passionate about with Chinese high school students in Beijing this summer,” Zhou said.

Zhou, a biostatistics major in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, serves as project director for the program.

“The seminars aim to help Chinese youth critically think about the world and explore their academic interests. UNC participants will learn more about the Beijing community and practice cross-cultural communication skills,” Zhou added.

The Davis Projects for Peace initiative, awarded by philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis, will provide more than $1 million in funding for projects developed by university students from over 90 campuses this summer. Collectively, these projects touch all regions of the world.

A complete list of the participating schools and projects, as well as a summary of all previous projects and a video interview with Davis from 2006, is available on the program’s website at www.davisprojectsforpeace.org.

For more information about Young Scholars International, please contact Yu Zhou at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

News Services contact: Susan Houston, (919) 962-8415,