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Student blogger Hope Parker reflects on her experience participating in the China-Africa mini-course held at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in October. The mini-course was a bilingual course taught by Professor Joshua Eisenman from University of Texas at Austin and Professor Wang Duanyong from Shanghai International Studies University. Before I arrived at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, I was curious about the different ways that international and Chinese students interact with each other. Bilingual events at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center are one way that students engage with each and take advantage of the unique fact that students have language skills in both Chinese and English. At the end of October, for the first time, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center offered a truly bilingual mini-course with course time split between the two languages. During the year, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center hosts professors from other universities, or from professional experts in the field, to not just give a lecture, but to...

We hear from many students that they are debating between applying for the Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) or the HNC Certificate + Johns Hopkins SAIS MA. Both will prepare you for the next steps in your career, but there are significant differences in the study experience. Below, we have outlined the strengths of both options and we hope that this helps guide you in determining which program is the best fit for you. Master of Arts in International Studies The MAIS program is a great option for students who want to bring their Chinese language skills to an advanced professional level, develop strong research skills, and go into depth in one particular research area. Students spend two years at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, and this program is the only master’s degree accredited in both China and the United States. Coursework and thesis component Students declare a concentration from one of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center’s areas of study (Chinese studies; international politic...

Student Blogger Tarela Osuobeni, Certificate ’17, SAIS MA ’19, shares her experiences taking advantage of faculty office hours at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. “请进, 请进 (please come in)!” My professor enthusiastically welcomed me through the doors of her office. Today I had come to discuss ideas for my paper on death penalty law for my Chinese Constitution course. I wanted to know her thoughts on the law’s relationship to the Chinese Constitution and Chinese history more broadly. She directed me to a chair across from her and began to ask me questions about my project. She patiently listened to my reasoning as I explained my paper’s argument. When I stumbled over a few Chinese words, she was quick to rephrase my meaning in a way that made sense. During the hour that we spent together, her advice and encouragement sharpened my thesis and gave me the confidence to complete the paper. At the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, I valued faculty office hours because it was an opportunity to understand mor...

Emily Rivera (Certificate ‘18) shares thoughts from students, faculty, and administrators on their favorite things about the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Hi everyone! During the spring semester,  I went around asking students, faculty, and administrators a simple question: “What is your favorite thing about the Hopkins-Nanjing Center?” Here were some of their answers: “My favorite thing is that while we all have a common love for China and international relations, there is a huge diversity of academic passion and knowledge.” – Taylore Roth (Certificate ‘18/SAIS MA ‘19) “One of my favorite parts of the HNC is our library. It's the perfect place to go to for studying and has a really impressive collection of both English and Chinese books, which has been super helpful during my thesis research.” – Amanda Bogan (MAIS ‘19) “Few people talk about their school the way we talk about the HNC. There is so much pride and unity here, a big sense of shared identity, which has made all of us unified...

Student blogger Alexandra Hansen (Certificate ’18 ) describes her experience on a course-related field research trip  to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province during the spring semester. The trip was part of Professor Christofferson’s course China on the Border: Provincial Relations on the Periphery. It is an example of new teaching initiatives being promoted by the Hopkins-Nanjing Center administration that are jointly funded by generous donations from both American and Chinese supporters of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Over spring break, students in Professor Christofferson’s course China on the Border: Provincial Relations on the Periphery were given the opportunity to conduct field research on Sino-Myanmar and Sino-North Korea relations. This course is popular among students at the Center and is attended by Chinese and international students interested in learning more about China’s provincial foreign relations. This research trip was funded by the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and allowed s...

As a student in the Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) program, Amanda Bogan, provides an overview of the final thesis requirement—from selecting a topic and an advisor to navigating the thesis defense.  The thesis defense is the final stage of the Master's thesis writing process, in which students present their papers and research findings to a panel of three professors with backgrounds in the same area of concentration (e.g. international economics, energy, resources and the environment, international politics, international and comparative law, or Chinese Studies). During the defense, professors will raise questions ranging from the implications of a thesis’s research findings to how the thesis is concluded, or offer up suggestions for how the thesis can be improved upon. But before students reach this final stage of the MA thesis process, there’s a great deal of research, revision, and discussions with thesis advisors before the final draft of a 15,000 character min...

Student blogger Alexandra Hansen introduces the HNC moot court teams and reflects on her experience competing. HNC students (left of center) pose with a competing team and a panel of judges after the first round of the Price Monroe Media Law Moot Court Competition. This past semester, I had the privilege of taking part in the Price Monroe Media Law Moot Court Competition. Prior to coming to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC), I had never heard about moot court. However, after an informative lecture held by Professor Thomas Simon, I was excited to get involved in an activity that would challenge me to develop my critical thinking and public speaking skills. Moot court is a popular activity here at the HNC. For those who are not familiar with its protocol, moot court is usually a law school activity and competition during which students participate in preparing and arguing international law cases in front of judges. Each moot court competition focuses on a different aspect of law and requi...

Last week I sat down with one of my favorite professors here at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, Professor Zhang (张海燕). Professor Zhang teaches China’s Development & Environment , as well as a new course this semester called Environmental-Economic System Analysis , a class where students can quantitatively analyze environmental issues from the perspective of system analysis. We spoke about her background in environmental science, her experience working at the HNC, and the importance of studying the global environment.   1) 首先请您介绍一下您在中美中心教什么课？ 我现在在中美中心教两门课。第一门是在秋季学期的 “中国的发展与环境” (China’s Development and Environment)。这是一门给大家介绍中国在发展过程中面临的资源、能源和环境问题的课程，也是中国学课程的一门。这门课在介绍环境管理学基础理论、中国环境监管体系和基本环境政策的基础上，分八个专题深入讨论不同的环境问题，比如城镇化的环境影响、污染转移等。目前，我正在开的新课叫“环境经济系统分析” (Environmental-Economic System Analysis)。这是一门环境政策分析的基础方法课程，介绍大家可能会用到环境政策分析的方法。比如说生态足迹 (ecological footprint)、碳足迹 (carbon footprint)核算、环境影响的的驱动力分析和环境风险分析等等。我希望通过该课程的学习为学生提供系统分析环境问题的toolbox。 2) 接下来，您可以介绍个人研究背景，研究兴趣。您是如何来到中美中心? 我是南京大学本科毕业，学的...

While the HNC offers a great selection of courses taught by stellar faculty, one class particularly stood out during the 2017 fall semester. Student blogger, Alexandra Hansen reflects on her experience in a piloted bilingual taught course, China and America: A Cross Cultural Dialogue (中国与美国：文化对话课). The Hopkins-Nanjing Center is well known for being a one-of-a-kind graduate center for students pursuing international studies. In line with the HNC’s mission to train graduates in Sino-global relations, the HNC is inherently effective in creating a cross-cultural educational experience. The courses taught at the HNC are varied in discipline, but accomplish the same goal: they inform and guide students in their study of China, the United States, and global relations through target-language curriculum. While I have enjoyed many courses I have taken at the HNC, one in particular has stood out as my favorite: “China and America: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue (中国与美国：文化对话课).” Part of a series of new ...

Emily Rivera (Certificate ’18) shares her experience choosing classes at the HNC and tips on overcoming the learning curve. During orientation week at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, students gathered in the auditorium to listen to the international and Chinese faculty present on the courses they would teach that semester. As an HNC Certificate student, students are required to take a minimum of three courses per semester in their target language. Students also have the option to take an additional fourth course in their non-target language. At my undergraduate university, I was a Government and Chinese double major. At the beginning of orientation, I naturally gravitated towards government and politics courses. However, after much thought, I decided I wanted to take courses that I would only be able to take in China and particularly, courses unique to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. I decided that I wanted to explore other areas of China studies and really challenge myself by expanding my voc...