This coming fall, UC Irvine senior Liming Dong, a double major in business economics and international studies, will take the next big step in his academic journey. He will be heading to USC’s Price School of Public Policy to pursue a Master of Public Policy (MPP).

Dong’s acceptance to the program comes with a generous $58,000 scholarship—a recognition of his hard work and potential.

“It was a huge surprise,” he says. “It’s going to help me a lot, and my parents are definitely happy about it.”

A new way to learn

Graduate school is a milestone that, just a few years ago, Dong never imagined for himself. Growing up in Shanghai, China, Dong never saw himself as an exceptional student. He felt the education system prioritized standardized testing over intellectual curiosity. His grades were solid, but it didn’t occur to him to pursue an advanced degree—until UC Irvine changed the way he thought about learning.

Dong first became intrigued by the American higher education system when his mother took him to an event at NYU Shanghai, where he was introduced to the concept of a more discussion-based, exploratory approach to learning. That experience motivated him to pursue college in the U.S.

“My parents always valued the growth higher education brings and they wanted me to find my own path,” he says.

Dong found at UC Irvine what he felt he had been missing: an intellectual environment that encouraged curiosity.

“Here, you can really explore your interests,” he says. “I never thought of myself as a passionate learner before, but UCI made me one.”

Human economics

Dong was initially drawn to business economics because it helped him make sense of the world.

“Every social science discipline gives you a way to understand society,” he explains. “Economics showed me how decisions are made, how markets function, and how different forces interact.”

But over time, something about the traditional economic models left him wanting a more personal picture. The numbers told a story of progress—GDP growth, rising exports, improved efficiency—but he also wanted to account for the people left out of that progress.

“On paper, a country’s economy might be booming, but if those benefits are concentrated at the top, what does that really mean for the average person?” he asks.

He found his answer in a global inequalities class taught by associate professor of teaching Philip McCarty.

“That class changed everything for me,” Dong says. “It made me realize that economic policies aren’t just about efficiency or growth—they have real consequences for real people.”

It wasn’t long before Dong declared a second major.

The bigger picture

The blend of disciplines offered by his dual major in business economics and international studies has shaped Dong’s academic research. As part of the School of Social Sciences’ honors program, he is currently writing his thesis on Mexico’s ban on genetically modified corn, examining its economic and social consequences.

“It’s been fascinating to see how a single policy decision can ripple through an entire economy and affect real people’s lives,” he says.

His research has involved analyzing trade policies, interviewing scholars, and navigating statistical databases—valuable experience for his next step as a graduate student.

Dong credits much of his academic transformation to the support he received at UC Irvine, particularly from faculty.

“Professor McCarty has been an incredible mentor. He really cares about his students. He might make bad jokes,” Dong says laughing, “but they make class fun. And after class, we’d walk together to the parking structure, just talking about research, life, and ideas.”

McCarty, in turn, has been impressed by Dong’s growth.

“He applied to our honors program and turned his interests into a very sophisticated honors thesis,” McCarty says. “It was amazing to see his development as a self-driven researcher working on his own research project.”

Beyond his academic pursuits, Dong has also found a strong sense of community and purpose through his faith. At UC Irvine, he served as vice president of New Life Fellowship, a campus Christian organization, where he led weekly Bible study discussions and organized social events.

“Faith has been such an important part of my life, and being able to build friendships and mentor others through it has been really meaningful,” he says.

Dong’s involvement extended beyond campus. At New Life Church of Irvine, he volunteered as a Sunday school teacher, caring for young children and helping them engage with Bible stories through games and activities. More recently, he became a choir leader at United Chinese Christian Church of Irvine, where he leads worship for over 100 attendees once a month. He also helps organize quarterly church group meetings to reflect on sermons and build deeper connections among the congregation.

“For me, faith isn’t just personal—it’s about community,” he says.

A future in public policy

This spring, Dong will graduate from UC Irvine and begin his next chapter learning how to design policies that are fair and effective.

In the long term, Dong envisions working in international trade policy, perhaps with a think tank or government agency. He’s particularly interested in finding ways to make trade agreements more equitable.

“A lot of policies fail because they don’t listen to the people they affect,” he says. “I want to change that.”

His work in the honors program is a key steppingstone toward this goal.

“As often happens, having a great honors project helped him get into a very prestigious graduate program with great funding,” McCarty says. “I don’t think it was luck. Liming made that happen!”

Looking back, Dong says UC Irvine gave him more than just academic knowledge—it gave him a new way of thinking.

“College isn’t just about learning facts,” he says. “It’s about learning how to question things, how to think critically, and how to keep pushing for better answers.”

Dong encourages incoming students to take full advantage of everything UC Irvine offers.

“Go to office hours, use the Writing Center, talk to your professors,” he advises. “And don’t just coast through classes—engage with them. You never know which one might change your entire perspective.”

—Jill Kato for UC Irvine School of Social Sciences