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| Tarela and her roommate after the HNC graduation ceremony |
My Background: I was born in Nigeria and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. My interest in China began during undergrad at Duke University, where I studied political science and Chinese. During my time at Duke, I studied abroad in Beijing, Kunshan, and Suzhou. My China experiences challenged me to step out of my comfort zone linguistically and culturally. I loved my time abroad and wanted to return after graduation. The Hopkins-Nanjing Center certificate program was perfect because it catered to my academic interests (international relations and Chinese) and adventurous personality. I chose to come to DC for the SAIS MA program because I wanted to round out my experience in China by gaining additional quantitative skills needed for my desired career in political risk analysis geared toward East Asia.
My Hopkins-Nanjing Center Academic Experience: By spending time at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, my ideas about how China sees itself in foreign relations, the global economy, and as a global problem-solver became more robust and holistic. I took courses such as国际法 (international law) where I was challenged to understand the South China Sea, international law, and international cases from China’s perspective. I was humbled by new insights on China’s relations with the rest of the world and was encouraged to step out of my personal experiences to view world events from a nuanced perspective.
Hopkins-Nanjing Center Highlights: A few months ago, I met up with my Chinese roommate in New York. During our conversation, we recalled our experiences in Nanjing over a bowl of hot, spicy noodles. In Chinese and English, we talked about the time we went to a Chinese rock concert and the scrumptious dinners we enjoyed at the one Indian place on Nanjing Road. I remembered being at her side when we cheered the basketball team to victories and reporting on the trip I took with other students to the China-Myanmar border. We talked about our friends who had started various student groups, such as the multicultural group, the dance group, the lacrosse interest groups, and many more. She told me about her recent hiking trip with other Hopkins-Nanjing Center alumni to the mountains in the state of Washington. I wasn’t surprised that students still kept in touch! As our conversation ended, I knew that our friendship would last us a lifetime because we had bonded over such unique adventures.
The Journey Continues: My journey continues as I complete the SAIS MA. While I am here, I am excited to share my experiences with you. Stay tuned for future posts on alumni, student experiences, and the transition from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center program to the SAIS MA program! 谢谢大家!
Written By Tarela Osuobeni, HNC Certificate’17/SAIS MA’19