IE Student selected for Schwarzman Scholar

IE Business school student Sergio Nührmann was selected as a Schwarzman Scholar, a prestigious post-graduate fellowship in Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University. Out of 3,600 applications, 154 candidates were chosen including Nührmann who is the first IE student to attend the program and also the first Angolan national ever.

“My defining ambition is to one day develop entrepreneurial solutions to intractable problems in an African context. The Schwarzman Scholars program is designed to give us access to the resources we need as young individuals in increasingly interconnected societies over which China commands significant influence,” the IE student said.

Nührmann said he is particularly interested in China’s key role in Africa.

“China is Angola’s largest creditor and has driven tremendous change in sub-Saharan African infrastructure, business, and society. I will leverage the Schwarzman program as a means to further deepen my interests for business and socioeconomic development from a Chinese perspective on the African continent,” said Nührmann

Nührmann joined IE in 2017 as a BBA student and has participated in the Finance & Capital Markets Club and the Private Equity & Venture Capital Club.

“One of the main reasons I chose IE University was due to its four key pillars which I highly identify with, in particular, the focus on entrepreneurship. With my goal of driving change in Angola through business, an entrepreneurial spirit is essential in finding innovative solutions to intractable problems.”
Sergio Nührmann, IE Student selected for Schwarzman Scholar

“Moreover, entrepreneurship requires creativity and perseverance, as the main characteristic of an entrepreneur is that he is a doer while most people are only dreamers. IE inspires us to take action when the right opportunities arise,” he said.

Nührmann said his internships with Morgan Stanley and BNP Paribas have given him valuable experience. Next year he’ll join Goldman Sachs as a Merchant Banking Real-Estate Investments off-cycle analyst.

“I was able to leverage IE University’s extensive resources to reach my professional goals in Real Estate Private Equity and Investment Banking. Essentially, IE provided me with a strong base to continue my passion for learning at the highest level, taking me to Harvard University and now to the Schwarzman Scholarship. In particular, IE’s highly qualified faculty and proactive approach to learning equipped me with the tools I need to succeed on an international stage,” added Nührmann.