Ruishi Zhang is a first-year Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, where he focuses on the intersection of climate policy, international trade, and global governance. He is particularly interested in China's climate policy and its relationship with domestic industrial and trade policies, as well as international carbon markets and multilateral climate cooperation. Ruishi attended COP30 in Belém, Brazil, as a representative of Washington University in St. Louis, where he followed negotiations on climate finance, the Global Stocktake, and Article 6, alongside discussions on climate-related trade tensions. Prior to HKS, he interned at the Inter-American Dialogue and the Center for China and Globalization, conducting policy research on China's overseas investment, international economic relations, and climate diplomacy. He also served as President of the Washington University US–China Forum for three years, organizing and moderating discussions on U.S.–China relations and international affairs. He holds a bachelor's degree in Global Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.