Hongyuan Zhang

Hongyuan Zhang is a second-year MPA candidate at Columbia SIPA, concentrating in Development and Governance and specializing in Data Analytics and Quantitative Analysis. He holds a Bachelor of Science in management science from the University of California, San Diego, where he graduated with distinction. His work and academic interests lie at the intersection of education, development policy, and technology.

Previously, Hongyuan served as special assistant to the Director of Education at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Jordan, where he supported strategic planning and policy development across five fields of operation. His work focused on education policy and the agency’s Education in Emergencies response in Gaza, including research on access to learning in conflict settings and advocacy efforts to mobilize international support for the restoration of learning opportunities in crisis-affected areas.

Hongyuan is the founder of Origin Youth Charity Fund, a nonprofit committed to expanding educational opportunities for underserved students in rural China. Under his leadership, the organization has provided teacher training, digital learning initiatives, and career guidance services, reaching thousands of students across multiple provinces.

At IGP, Hongyuan hopes to deepen his engagement in applied research and policy innovation, particularly around how technology and data can inform equitable education policy and human capital development in fragile and transitioning settings.