Hopkins-Nanjing Center Blog

Tomorrow, we will be sending out pre-departure forms to all enrolling students, including a roommate preference form. Students who have designated that they will live in a double room will have the opportunity to indicate their study and sleep habits, as well as their main academic interests. The roommate preference form should be completed as thoroughly as possible. Hopkins-Nanjing Center staff take these forms into consideration when making roommate selections, and try their best to make as many Chinese-international roommate pairings as possible. The majority of students found that the Center's multicultural residential community greatly contributed to their overall student experience, and helped facilitate intellectual discussions. Admissions Coordinator and HNC '12 alumna Lauren Szymanski states, "My roommate and I actually enrolled in some of the same Chinese courses, which allowed us to continue our discussions outside of the classroom, and even throw around...

As we process the reply forms that were submitted last weekend, a picture of next year’s class at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center is beginning to form.   The following is based on students who have confirmed enrollment with our HNC Office of International Admissions.   Chinese citizens will make up half of the total student body, but their admissions process with Nanjing University is still ongoing.  For now, let us introduce next year’s class of international students! 50% Certificate 40% MAIS 10% Five-Semester Option There will be citizens representing: Canada Dominican Republic France Germany Hong Kong Ireland Italy Kenya Philippines Singapore Sweden United States Finally, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center is excited to welcome its first second-generation student!   The daughter of an HNC ’89 graduate will be joining us this fall in Nanjing. We encourage all enrolling students to join the Facebook group we created for your cl...

Thank you to all admitted students who submitted their reply forms over the weekend!  This past Friday and Saturday we also held admitted student events in Nanjing.  Angela Chang, the American Academic Coordinator at the HNC, fills us in on the recent Center happenings: " Last weekend, we hosted a variety of events at the HNC for some of our admitted students currently based in greater China.  One student, however, even flew in all the way from the US to attend!  On Thursday evening, Robert Daly, a former American Co-Director and creator of the HNC City Wall Walk, gave a lecture on the development of the ancient Nanjing city wall, providing historical depth and context which would have otherwise been lost on us.  On Friday, students had the chance to sit in on classes, have lunch with the co-directors and Chinese faculty, take a tour of the Center and the surrounding neighborhood, and speak with students at the weekly happy hour.  On Saturday, they j...

This is a reminder to all admitted students that the deadline to submit your reply forms is this Sunday, April 21 .  Thank you to those who have already done so!  If you have decided not to attend the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, please still submit the form or send us an email with your plans. We look forward to welcoming the newest class to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center!

It has been a busy few weeks for students at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center!  MAIS student Natalie Sammarco has been working to prepare her thesis plan but had time to send a brief update on her spring break adventure in North Korea.  Stay tuned for a specific piece on her experiences in North Korea coming soon! " The last two weeks have been quite exciting for me! Two weeks ago, I was fairly stressed out by a couple assignments due for my thesis and last week was spring break! As an ‘out of sequence’ student (meaning I switched from the Certificate to the Master’s program, therefore will graduate in 5 semesters instead of 4), I have to do planning for my thesis this term in preparation for writing it during the autumn term. Needless to say, this is exciting but really doesn’t help with the stress and workload! After I turned in the general plan for my thesis, I could concentrate on what I was really looking forward to all term: Spring Break. Many st...

Name Stanley Seiden Program HNC Certificate '11/SAIS MA '13 Five-Semester Option Hometown Weyland, MA Undergraduate school and major Yale, Economics Activities at the HNC Jessup International Moot Court, Student Business Exchange, HNC Coffee Shop, Dragon Boat Team, Jiu Jitsu, Gourmet Club. What is the most important thing you took away from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center? A sense that I know now how to integrate myself into a group of students whose native language is so different from my own.  I restrict our differences to language because one of the most important parts of this revelation has been the realization that, in the end, we're all just young adults with many of the same opinions, behaviors and peculiarities.  But I went from awkward small talk with my roommate to having strong connections with dozens of my Chinese classmates at the Center, and it's a great feeling. Do you have any advice for students admitted to the HNC? ...

We recently tweeted some full color photographs of Beijing from 1947 .   As the Hopkins-Nanjing Center prepares to welcome its 28th class to the Center this fall, we wondered: how has the HNC changed over the years?  Check out some of the photos we found in the archives from the early years of the Center: Hopkins-Nanjing Center classroom, 1986-1987 Hopkins-Nanjing Center classes now take place in the new building completed in 2006 The Center's aerobics group in 1986 The dragon boat team, 2011 The HNC in 1986 The HNC now Shanghai Road, outside the Center's gates Shanghai Road now But some things never change... Halloween, 1986

Each year, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center conditionally admits a select few students who are exceptional applicants in almost every way but score slightly below the recommended level on the Chinese proficiency test .   The condition they must meet before matriculating is usually to enroll in an intensive Chinese summer language program, retake the CAL test over the summer, or both.  Were you conditionally admitted?   Follow the guidelines below to ensure a successful start at the HNC this fall: If you are required to retake the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) Chinese proficiency test to meet your condition, be sure to request the test with enough time to take and mail the completed materials back to our office for scoring by July 31 . For those who are required to enroll in an intensive language program over the summer, please confirm your summer plans with our office.   If you need any program recommendations or have questions on what qualifies as a s...

MAIS student Natalie Sammarco sends an update on her activities outside of class this spring: "Spring is busting out in Nanjing and it has brought some good weather with it! Since I’m from Ohio, and have spent a good number of years in the northeast, I am used to the cold weather. Yet, there’s something so nice about waking up, seeing sunshine, and having the weather hover around 55-60 degrees F for the first time all year. It’s not especially warm outside, but so nice to see the weather changing and see blossoms on the trees.    Natalie on the Sacred Path to the Ming Tombs in Nanjing The last couple weeks have been really enjoyable. A couple friends and I hiked up to Sun Yat-Sen’s Memorial on Purple Mountain and had lunch last Friday. It was beautiful out and was the first time I’d gone back to that site since I studied abroad in 2007. Taking a picture at the same spot where I was before reminded me how much China (and I) have changed throughout the last 6 years....

HNC's annual Career Day in Shanghai gives students the opportunity to interact with professionals and HNC alumni currently working in China.  The day includes a series of panel presentations and opportunities to network with employers.  Read HNC Career Counselor Robert Shields' report from this year's Career Day in Shanghai and an update on the upcoming Beijing Trek below: Career Day On March 22, the HNC held its annual Career Day; a career forum where HNC students have the opportunity to hear insights and perspectives of nearly 50 distinguished professionals.   While there were many memorable moments from this year’s event, there were a few that I wanted to highlight.   The event began with a keynote address from Han Lin, Senior Vice President and the Deputy General Manager at Wells Fargo’s Shanghai office and a member of the SAIS class of 2003.   Mr. Lin shared many lessons with those in attendance, but there were two that I felt were parti...