Shuai Ren

Why did you choose Wagner for graduate school?

I'm from a planning background and wanted to learn how the world's most famous city, New York, does its planning and manages its procedures. Coming from a developing country context where urbanization is booming, NYC's best practices and lessons can be learned and replicated if adopted properly to the developing world. New York has various NGOs with different missions, and it is the best place to start a career in not-for-profit industry as the variety of institutions gives you a very good overview of the international development universe.

How would you describe your experience as a Wagner student?

Wagner provides flexibility in developing your professional expertise. You can explore your own path by taking relevant courses, speaking with professors, and going to classes across NYU (for example at NYU Stern). Wagner encouraged students to utilize resources both in and out of school, and I benefited a lot from the combination of working and studying during my time in the program.

Describe your current job.

I am currently the Business Director of Public Transport Division at DiDi Chuxing. I oversee strategy and investment, business development, and globalization agenda for DiDi Public Transport. Prior to DiDi, I worked with the Global Infrastructure Facility at the World Bank on public-private partnerships and financial structuring for projects in Asian countries to attract private sector investment. I also worked on the World Bank’s Transport Global Practice department on lending and advisory projects in China, focusing on urban mobility and municipal financing.