Fan Wang G’15, an incoming student in the Janklow Arts Leadership Program, has always been interested in the arts. Case in point: She has been playing the flute since age 10. But it wasn’t until her junior year at Xiamen University, on the southeastern coast of China, that she decided to make the switch from the practice room to the board room.

Wang credits her idol, Zheng Xiaoying—China’s first female conductor, as well as the former principal conductor of the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra—for sparking her interest. While studying at Xiamen University, Wang had the opportunity to meet Xiaoying at a performance by the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra. Wang then realized that she, too, could combine her interests in music performance and civic leadership.

Wang learned about the Janklow Program, an interdisciplinary program based in the Department of Art and Music Histories, while working for a cultural company in Beijing.

“Working there taught me that there are many things I need to learn, if I want to pursue arts leadership,” Wang says. “I searched for different programs [online] and found that the Janklow Arts Leadership Program was exactly what I was looking for.”

Housed in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Janklow Arts Leadership Program prides itself on a curriculum that goes well beyond traditional arts management. The 15-month master’s program is known for operating at the nexus of arts administration and social entrepreneurship. As a result, its graduates end up prepared for a variety of for- and non-profit careers.

Wang hopes the program will train her to become, among other things, a successful civic leader.

“The arts can be used to connect cultures and to bridge understanding,” she says. “Long term, I hope to be an envoy for a cultural exchange program.”