Lauren Viehbacher received a B.S. in Foreign Service and an undergraduate certificate in Asian Studies from Georgetown University in 2011. Following her graduation, Lauren moved to Shanghai to work in healthcare consulting. She collaborated with a Chinese team to advise pharmaceutical multinationals (MNCs) on pricing and market access in China. Outside the office, Lauren was on the leadership team at Shanghai’s largest non-profit community outreach organization.

According to Lauren, her Georgetown education was invaluable. She used her Chinese language skills extensively in the office and in interviews with doctors and government officials during her tenure in Shanghai. The undergraduate certificate program in Asian Studies greatly enhanced her understanding of Asia and the region’s highly complex market and policy nuances, and honed her analytical skills, which she later used to deliver strategic recommendations for her clients. Her education at Georgetown University allowed her to gain a wide range of perspectives on the immense political, economic, and cultural differences in China.

In 2014, Lauren was admitted to Master in Public Policy programs at Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), the London School of Economics, and Georgetown University. After spending nearly three years in China, Lauren will return to the United States and attend Harvard Kennedy School to pursue her graduate study in public policy.