Wenyuan Feng

Master of Public Policy, 2022

I am Wenyuan from China, a Master of Public Policy student at the Blavatnik School of Government. A lifelong practitioner in green finance, I have studied and worked in sustainable development for six years.

My life started from a tiny fishing village, which has evolved into a metropolis thanks to China’s Reform and Opening-up in 1980s. From this Chinese mode of economic miracle, I have seen not only remarkable changes but also the widening disparity between the rich and the poor. Such a stark contrast sparked my interest in how economic transformation affects agricultural populations in developing countries.

Prior to Oxford, I earned a Master of Agricultural Development Studies from the University of Tokyo (Japan) and a Bachelor of Economics from Shandong University (China). In my postgraduate research, I delved deeply into China’s FDI in Africa, combining economics, agricultural management and data science to investigate China’s investment behaviour on the continent. This interdisciplinary experience has brought me unique perspectives to approach various impact investment projects after graduation.

I had worked with the China Development Bank, the largest development organization in the world, since my graduation. As an associate, I have been in charge of eight major projects totalling two billion dollars, covering infrastructure, social welfare and high tech. Besides, I took part in the creation of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan as a policy advisor.

My roles across the market and government have enlightened me on the power of connections. That is also the reason why I chose to study public policy programme at Oxford—it emphasizes interpersonal connection and the connection between academia and the real world. At the University of Oxford, I aspire to achieve a better understanding of policymaking of green finance and ESG in the face of climate change, as well as learn how to be an effective market-government liaison.

In my spare time, I love growing tropical plants. I have ten beautiful begonias! I speak Chinese (Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese), English and Japanese.

Contact: wenyuan.feng@bsg.ox.ac.uk