King's students honoured by Global Undergraduate Awards

September 12, 2022 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Congratulations to Jia Wang ’22 Honours Economics and Emma Stredder, fourth-year Honours Specialization in English, whose papers were named as Highly Commended as part of the 2022 Global Undergraduate Awards. Wang was recognized in the economics category and Stredder was named in the literature category. The international awards program recognizes creativity, excellence, and innovative thinking within student coursework. Entrants whose paper or project ranked in the top 10% of submissions in their category are shortlisted as Highly Commended Entrants.

This year, the Global Undergraduate Awards received more than 2,812 submissions from more than 410 institutions worldwide. The full list of Highly Commended winners for 2022 can be viewed on their website.

Wang received Highly Commended honours for her paper titled “The Moderating Effect of Financing Structure on Innovation Investment and Corporate Performance: A Case of ChiNext Listed Companies in China,” which she wrote as a fourth-year economics student in the School of Management, Economics, and Mathematics (MEM).

The paper considers the enhancement in enterprises' technological innovation and industrial core competitiveness as the driving force for the development in ChiNext, a NASDAQ-style subsidiary of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Wang recognizes the important work of the King’s faculty: “Every professor influenced me with enriching content and rigorous examination. I am very grateful to Professor Josephine Gemson for her guidance and support as my supervisor in the senior year. Several professors in the economics department also suggested areas for further improvement during my thesis presentation.” Wang also noted the value of Econ 3313E in laying the foundation for establishing her research topic and carrying out the empirical research.

Wang, who is pursing a master’s degree at Cambridge University, says, “Being recognized by the Global Undergraduate Awards is one of [my proudest] achievements at King’s.”

Stredder received Highly Commended honours for her paper titled “Moral Performativity in Eighteenth-Century Abolitionism and Black Lives Matter.” The paper explores how eighteenth-century and contemporary readers behave in response to racial injustice and contemplates the paradoxical value that disingenuous public demonstrations of morality may provide for advancing anti-racism movements. 

She says she is very excited to have been recognized by the Global Undergraduate Awards. “I really care about the subject matter of my paper, and I hope that my ideas may offer readers a new perspective. So, to have my work recognized feels extremely rewarding.”

Stredder says that King’s has provided her with the necessary tools to expand her worldview and improve her writing abilities.

“The English faculty has been particularly important in the advancement of my academic growth. This is especially true of Dr. Coby Dowdell, who has been consistently encouraging and supportive,” says Stredder.

Stories about previous Global Undergraduate Award winners from King’s: