Thursday, September 29, 2016

HNC Alumni Profile: Margaret Myers

Margaret Myers, HNC Certificate 2011, reflects back on her time at the HNC and her experience working as the Program Director of the China and Latin America program at the Inter-American Dialogue. 

Tell us what you are doing now.

I am currently the Director of the China and Latin America program at the Inter-American Dialogue, a Western Hemisphere Affairs think tank based in Washington, DC. The Dialogue’s China and Latin America Program engages and informs academics, policy-makers, and private sector leaders from China, Latin America, and the United States on evolving themes in China-Latin America relations. Our working group meetings, events, and publications seek to address areas of critical interest and to identify shared priorities on both sides of the Pacific.

How do you think your experience at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center prepared you for this work? 
Much of what I learned at the Center is directly applicable to my work at the Inter-American Dialogue. My primary objective at HNC was to refine my Chinese language skills, which I now employ when conducting research on China’s Latin America and “going-out” policies and when engaging Chinese colleagues. My ability to participate in Chinese language meetings has facilitated critical relationship-building with key individuals in China’s ministries, think tanks, and companies. At the Center, I also developed a solid understanding of the many domestic factors in China that influence the country’s engagement with Latin America and other regions. This background has been invaluable in recent years, enabling me to develop an informed programmatic agenda. I am also tremendously grateful for the friendships that I made while at the Center. Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to collaborate professionally with several of my former classmates. The HNC network is remarkably extensive and active.

What was your most memorable moment when you were at the HNC?
I have many fond memories of the Center, but I remember the HNC ping pong tournament and talent show especially fondly. On both occasions, I was completely in awe of my classmates’ many skills. Academically speaking, my course on the Chinese Constitution was especially memorable. Students engaged in lively debate on developments in Chinese constitutional law and the broader legal system. I continue to refer to my notes from that and other courses in my current work. I otherwise tend to recall the great conversations I had with Chinese and international students, time spent browsing in the library, lots of attempts to find Pearl Buck’s house on the Nanjing University campus, great dinners at the local Indian restaurant, and fascinating trips outside of Nanjing.

What advice would you give someone contemplating attending the Hopkins-Nanjing Center?
I can’t recommend the Center enough. It provides a valuable opportunity for language immersion, of course, but unlike other programs, also provides considerable perspective on Chinese academic thinking on a wide variety of topics. The Center itself, which is run by Chinese and American co-directors, is in some ways a microcosm of the broader China-US relationship. I would advise students who are interested in studying at the Center to develop their Chinese language skills as much as possible before arriving. I would also advise them to participate actively in the many extracurricular opportunities that the Center affords, to explore the Nanjing University campus and course offerings, and to build a strong network of Chinese and international friends. The knowledge base, language skills, and networks developed at the Center can be of benefit for a lifetime.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

SAIS China Studies Club Celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival

Last week, over 30 Johns Hopkins SAIS students from varying concentrations met on a cozy rooftop in Adams Morgan to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival. The long tables were filled with contributed dishes, including some interesting attempts by the American students to recreate their favorite Chinese recipes.


Organized by the China Studies Club at SAIS, the potluck dinner is a newly founded tradition with the goal of connecting students who may have different concentrations from Energy, Resources and Energy to International Law, but also any SAIS student who shares a profound love of Chinese culture and moon cakes in particular.

Edward Logan, a second year MA student with a China Studies concentration, said he enjoyed the opportunity to meet different people with similar interests. He, like many of them, have extensive experience studying in and about China. In fact, the Chinese students in attendance were pleasantly surprised to converse with their American classmates in Chinese. Many were especially shocked to see that their American counterparts had gained not only Chinese language skills, but also a deep appreciation for the culture. In fact, many were surprised when Edward shared stories of celebrating Chinese New Year while living in Russia—a common occurrence.

Overall, Edward said he’s grateful to have shared not only a potluck dinner, but also stories and laughs with his classmates. If there’s one thing he hopes students take away from their dinner on the rooftop, he said, it should be that “it is possible for other people to appreciate the traditions and cultures of other countries as much as the locals do.” I must say, I have to agree—especially at SAIS.  

Written by Clarise Brown, HNC Certificate/Johns Hopkins SAIS MA 

Photo credit: Boyang Xue

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

HNC on the Road: 2016 Campus Visits and Virtual Info Sessions

HNC Admissions is on the road again as we start our campus visits this fall! Admissions representatives will be holding info sessions, visiting Chinese classes, and holding one-on-one appointments at universities across the US. See the list below to see if the HNC will be visiting your school this fall!

The HNC Admissions Team will also be holding virtual info sessions throughout the fall. Click on the links below for more information to sign up for email reminders.

To see confirmed dates of when a HNC admissions representative will be in your area, please view our Recruiting Calendar. If you would like to speak with an admissions representative at another time, please email nanjing@jhu.edu. For on-the-road updates, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @HopkinsNanjing.

We look forward to meeting you this fall! 

2016 Campus Visits*
  • Amherst College
  • Barnard College
  • Beloit College
  • Bowdoin College
  • Bryn Mawr College
  • California State University
  • Carleton College
  • Colby College
  • Colorado State University
  • Connecticut College
  • Davidson College
  • DePaul University
  • Duke University
  • Furman University
  • George Washington
  • Georgia Tech
  • Hamilton College
  • Haverford College
  • Hunter College
  • Kalamazoo College 
  •  Lafayette College
  • Macalester College 
  • Middlebury College
  • Mount Holyoke College
  • Northeastern University
  • Norwich University
  • Ohio State University
  • Penn State University
  • Portland State University
  • Queens College
  • Rice University
  • Smith College
  • Southwestern University
  • St. Mary's College of Maryland
  • Stanford University
  • Swarthmore College
  • Trinity College
  • Tufts University
  • UC Berkeley
  • UC Santa Cruz
  • UMASS
  • Union College
  • University of Arizona
  • University of Colorado- Boulder
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Mississippi
  • University of Oregon
  • University of Richmond
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Wisconsin
  • UT Austin
  • Vassar College
  • Washington and Lee
  • Wellesley
  • Willamette University
  • Williams
  • Yale University
*Subject to change


  • Arizona State University
  • Bates College
  • Boston University
  • Brown University
  • Bucknell University
  • Calvin College
  • Centre College
  • Colorado College
  • Columbia University
  • Dartmouth College
  • Denison University
  • Dickinson College 
  • Emory University
  • George Mason University
  • Georgetown University
  • Gettysburg College
  • Harvard University
  • Holy Cross
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Kenyon College
  • Lewis and Clark College
  • Michigan State
  • Morehouse College
  • New York University
  • Northwestern University
  • Notre Dame
  • Ohio Wesleyan 
  • Pomona College
  • Princeton University
  • Reed College
  • San Jose State University
  • Soka University
  • Spelman College
  • St. Olaf College
  • SUNY Albany
  • Syracuse University
  • Trinity University
  • Tulane University
  • UC Davis
  • UCLA
  • UNC
  • University of Alabama
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Oklahoma
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Vermont
  • University of Washington
  • USC
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Wake Forest
  • Washington University
  • Western Washington University
  • William and Mary
  • Wofford College