Hopkins-Nanjing Center Alumni Profile: Matthew Chitwood

Matthew Chitwood, HNC Certificate ’10, Johns Hopkins SAIS MA ’11, is currently on a two-year fellowship with the Institute of Current World Affairs to research infrastructure development and its impact on people, land, the economy, and governance in Yunnan Province. 
 
Tell us about being a fellow with the Institute of Current World Affairs (ICWA) in Bangdong, Yunnan.
It’s almost too good to be true. ICWA asks you what you would do if you could pursue any personal and professional development opportunity for two years. My answer was to understand rural China. I’m familiar with China’s massive urban centers after living in them for over a decade. But roughly 40% of China’s population still lives in rural areas - a big number when you’re talking about the world’s most populous country. And it’s a critical demographic to understand if you want to grasp where China is coming from and where it’s going. So I’m living in a small village - I mean "350 people small" - in rural Yunnan trying to understand rural perspectives on life, China, and the world.

What’s been the most rewarding aspect of your research? The most challenging?
It’s such an honor to hear people’s stories. Before leaving the U.S. I was counseled by Jeanne Barnett (wife of A. Doak Barnett, a Johns Hopkins SAIS professor and former ICWA fellow), “Doak would talk to everyone. You should too.” And I’ve quickly learned that everyone has a story to tell and new perspectives to share. Almost every day I have conversations that challenge my preconceived notions of how people think or see the world. And the relationships that are built over those conversations are so rewarding.

That said, the loneliness is real. I’m the only foreigner and English-speaker for miles and miles and miles. The cultural barriers are significant and the depth of relationship that can be formed even over two years is limited. My neighbors all grew up together, have raised their kids together, and buried parents together. There’s nothing more for them to talk about. As a newcomer it’s hard to enter into the community and enjoy the depth of relationship that they already share or that I have experienced elsewhere in the world. That’s challenging but also so rewarding when I do see progress.

You have worked in Mainland China and Taiwan for nearly a decade with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Critical Language Scholarship Program, and CET Academic Programs, among others. Do you see yourself continuing your career in China?
My career will continue with China, though I’m not sure on which side of the Pacific. In China, you see something every day that you just don’t see every day. The sense of novelty and opportunity are still going strong. But my career decisions are driven by personal interest and opportunity for learning. So far, these have all kept me China-side, but I could see that shifting sometime. I know my mom hopes that shifts sometime.

How did your time at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and Johns Hopkins SAIS prepare you for your career and current research?
I got the best of both worlds with the Hopkins-Nanjing Center-Johns Hopkins SAIS combo. The Hopkins-Nanjing Center really strengthened my Chinese language (think academic reading and research papers) and ability to build cross-cultural relationships (see memorable moment response below). The Hopkins-Nanjing Center and Chase Bank also funded a one-month internship with a microfinance org in rural Sichuan, which piqued my interest in rural China. Then Johns Hopkins SAIS threw me into the thick of international relations gurus and development practitioners in DC coupled with an academically rigorous environment. (Econ is hard!) Johns Hopkins SAIS also organized a study trip for International Development and China Studies students to Beijing and Yunnan to better understand China’s development trajectory. It gave me access to and insights into layers of China I hadn’t explored before. And those layers are what I’m still researching and writing about now eight years later. Coincidence?
 
What drew you to apply to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and Johns Hopkins SAIS?
缘分吧 - destiny. I was working in Nanjing and applying to law school when I more or less stumbled upon the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. I got way more excited about studying in an environment like the Hopkins-Nanjing Center’s and potentially continuing at Johns Hopkins SAIS than I did about law school. A mentor challenged me at the time: how many people get to take two years of their life and learn deeply in an area of interest? His point: pursue your interests to the best of your ability and the rest will follow. So I did. And what I found at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and Johns Hopkins SAIS were communities of very capable people with diverse interests, international backgrounds, and language skills who were trying to forge a career path out of it all. I knew I’d made the right choice. 

What was your most memorable moment when you were at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center?
My roommate and I were intentional about developing our friendship. We always included the other in social events. We alternated Chinese-English language days so we’d both improve. And we resolved our conflicts well (i.e.: he learned that a shower curtain is used so you don't get the entire bathroom soaking wet, and I learned that when he’s in the room studying is not the best time to practice my KTV repertoire). I remember we celebrated the end of the year by going out for a meal at The Golden Hans (金汉斯), just the two of us at one of those all-you-can-eat meat BBQ places where they bring the shanks of meat to your table and slice it directly onto your plate. That restaurant was a great idea! We ate far too much. But the memorable moment was laughing over memories from the year, reminiscing over the challenges, and realizing I had a new lifelong friend. No longer was it contrived based on win-win language arrangements or social obligations - it just was. Friendship. I’ve been in China a long time and have yet to find a setting that fosters that type of trust-based, intercultural friendship. In some ways it's hard even within the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. But with time and intentionality, it can happen. And it can continue, even ten years later.

What advice would you give current or future students?
Talk to everyone. Each person at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center has a unique story, including teachers and staff. Get a coffee or share some dumplings with every single one of them. Hear their stories. Find out what makes them tick. Discover their dreams. Honor them by sharing yours. Those relationships are one of the most meaningful and valuable takeaways from your experience at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. And they last the rest of your life. 

Hopkins-Nanjing Center Alumni Profile: Taylor Jones

Taylor Jones graduated from University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2014 and received a Certificate in Chinese and American Studies in 2017 from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Since 2017, she has worked as a marketing consultant and senior operations manager for Walland Technology Company Ltd. in Nanjing, China.

Tell us about your current role.
I am a senior operations manager at Walland, a Chinese e-commerce company that specializes in women’s fashion products. Walland has multiple brands with products that range from luxury wigs to wedding dresses and invitations, and their brands cater to mostly the European and American markets. I primarily work with the RPGShow luxury hair brand. In my role, in addition to strategic planning, I organize and prepare logistics for our offline events in Europe and the United States. These events include mini offline locations, where we partner with local hairstylists to display our products, and larger pop-up shops in places like London, New York, and Los Angeles. I also manage communication and relations with overseas partners and clients abroad. I speak with our brand ambassador, models, celebrity stylists, and regular hairstylists when issues come up. In addition to planning and communication, I provide support for miscellaneous tasks with brands throughout the company and assist with designing the webpage for our offline events.

How did your time in China and experience at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center lead you to this position?
My interest in China started from wanting to choose a language that seemed fun and difficult at the same time. As I learned Chinese, I realized how interesting the region was, and my interest grew. I ended up studying abroad in China during undergrad. My undergraduate major was business management and international business, but I always had an interest in international relations and politics. I discovered the opportunity to study international politics at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center when I was living in Atlanta after graduation. So, I went for it. While at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, a friend in Nanjing shared with me an internship opportunity at Walland after I told her that I was interested in business. I received the summer internship, and they later offered me a full-time position. At first, because I was the only native English speaker in the company, I started with proofreading and editing documents. Over time, I became more proactive about making improvements to the company’s websites, communication style, and business ideas. As they saw that I was contributing to the company, they gave me more responsibilities.

What was one of your most memorable Hopkins-Nanjing Center moments that you still think about?
The week we had the dragon boat competition and dragon boat cheer squad was very fun. That was just a really fun day of cheering on our classmates and being around other Nanjing students at Xuanwu Lake. Academically, my favorite memory was the rural development trip to Anhui province with Professor Adam Webb’s class. He took students out to a rural city to help us better understand rural development in China. Each student in his class picked a thesis topic for his or her final paper and research this topic while on the trip. My topic was about education and how it helps or fails Chinese children in the rural areas. I still think about the children and the people that I met on that trip. It was a little emotional for me.

How do the skills you learned from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center help you in your current position?
At the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, I learned how to appreciate diversity in thought because there were people who thought differently from me. I learned how to engage and work with people even if I didn’t fully agree with them. I also loved attending classes and working with my Chinese classmates. That prepared me for working in an all-Chinese work environment because I learned how to manage the cultural and communication differences between people who are not from the same region in China. So when I started working at my company, I was already familiar with general Chinese cultural mannerisms. My office is much more delicate with managing conflict and everyone is careful about expressing distaste for someone else’s work in front of everybody. Living with my Chinese roommate and interacting with my Chinese classmates at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center prepared me for this work environment. Also, I learned a lot of practical skills from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center’s career services programming. By working with the career counselor, I was able to develop my career plans and receive more clarity about my options. Every time there was a lecture on topics such as LinkedIn and interview skills, I would attend. I still use some of those skills today. My experience with career services was invaluable.

What advice would you give to current or future Hopkins-Nanjing Center students?
Be open to your life switching directions. I could have easily decided to do the internship for three months and go back home, which was my original plan. But, I realized that there was value in staying in China. Be open to making your own journey. I had to create my role and responsibilities during that first year at Walland. They were not sure what they could ask me to do and what they couldn’t ask me to do. I could have waited for them, but instead I started creating tasks for myself by volunteering for different projects and helping my coworkers. When they liked the outcome of my work, they gave me the responsibility of completing that project. Had I not been proactive, and had I not had a boss who was open to the responsibilities I wanted to take on, the opportunities I have now wouldn’t have come to me. My advice is to be very proactive and shape your journey. It really is what you decide it to be.

What advice would you give to Hopkins-Nanjing Center students who want to work in the e-commerce industry or business in China?
E-commerce is a fast and competitive industry in China, so companies have to be extremely quick to react to new trends in the beauty and fashion industry. What fascinates me about my company’s brand RPGShow is that they have gotten adept to selling a product that they themselves don’t use. They sell natural hair products and wigs and have become one of the top companies that sell these products in the United States. They don’t even use these products in China, but they have found a way to quickly adapt to the preferences of international customers. What a customer wants is fickle because it depends on fashion and entertainment trends. When Walland sees a trend, they have to predict that it’s coming and be the first to get their product out there to sell it. The ability to think quickly and react to these trends is essential for this industry in China.

As for business, try to gain work experience while you’re at Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Be open to different ways of handling and doing things in the work environment. If you come to China with a mindset of “I’ve always did it this way so I’m going to do it this way,” you’ll have a hard time. It’s sounds so clichéd but I never realized how true these things are until I actually started experiencing them. Be open to new ideas and consider opportunities that you may not have considered before.

Written By Tarela Osuobeni Hopkins-Nanjing Center Certificate’ 17, SAIS MA’19

An Interview with the Hopkins-Nanjing Center Student Committee (Banwei)

Student blogger Cady Deck, Certificate ’19, interviews the Hopkins-Nanjing Center student committee (banwei) representatives about their experiences.

Every semester, students elect four representatives to the student committee, known as banwei (班委). There are two Chinese students, one male and one female, and two international students, also one male and one female. The banwei acts as the intermediary between the student body and the administration, advocating on behalf of the students. It deals with issues within the community as well as planning campus events such as the annual Halloween party, seasonal holiday parties, weekly coffee discussions, barbecues, etc. I talked to a few banwei representatives from last semester and this semester to learn more about their responsibilities.

The Fall banwei representatives (left) and the Spring banwei representatives (right)

Why did you decide to run for banwei?
Shelby Tuseth, banwei Fall ’18: I wanted to learn how the Hopkins-Nanjing Center works. Being a banwei representative felt like a good introduction to the campus and community. I also enjoy helping people, which is a big part of this position.

侯婧怡 Hou Jingyi, banwei Fall ’18: When I ran for banwei representative, my goal was very simple. As a Nanjing local, I wanted to use my advantages as a local to help people solve any everyday problems they may encounter living in Nanjing. I also wanted to meet more students and have fun together.

张垚垚 Zhang Yaoyao, banwei Spring ’19: I ran because I wanted to organize more cross-cultural activities and foster the creation of more cross-cultural friendships.

What are the most rewarding and challenging parts of being a banwei representative?
Sydney Tucker, banwei Spring ’19: The most challenging part is definitely pleasing everyone. The most rewarding part is giving people a voice and creating a closer community.

Yaoyao: Having to juggle between intensive courses, banwei duties, and other responsibilities is no easy task, but it has pushed me to improve my time management skills and productivity. The most rewarding part is that I get to make more friends from the activities we organize.

Jingyi: I think the most challenging part was that every time we organized an event, we spent a lot of time and effort preparing. Initially, I was worried that no one would be willing to help, but actually all the students were very supportive and willing to help us. This assistance moved me and encouraged me to work even harder as a banwei representative.

What is/will be your greatest accomplishment as banwei?
Shelby: The movie screening we organized in the student lounge. The lounge was packed with people and it ended up being a big community bonding moment. It was very representative of the community fostered here at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center.

Sydney: This year the dragon boat festival happens before summer break. We already have a WeChat group with over 30 people who want to participate in the dragon boat racing competition. I’m super excited to participate and to help organize the team!

Jingyi: The first semester, everyone had really high expectations for banwei. I was always worried that banwei wouldn’t meet those expectations. But one night my roommate told me she really liked the activities we’d organized. She felt like the activities allowed her to meet a lot of new friends and also alleviate the stresses of being a graduate student. That was a great moment for me and made me feel like all the work was worth it.

What would you say to people who are thinking of running for banwei?
Sydney and Shelby: If you have any interest, it’s worth a shot. It’s a great way to get involved in the community. You get to learn about both the Chinese and international side in depth. It’s also a good way to get a feel for a real-world job, where you will have to prioritize, make compromises, and feel stressed. But it’s worth it for the experience!

Yaoyao: Banwei is not a glorious title you run for so you can put it on your resume. It is about caring for the community and being willing to take the time and effort to serve the community. It is about making more friends and making the Center a better community. Make sure you are aware of the serious responsibilities before you decide to run.

Banwei is definitely a lot of work, but I’d encourage prospective students to consider this excellent opportunity to be a community leader. As a member of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center community, I have certainly benefited from all of banwei’s hard work last semester and this semester, and I’m excited for what else is planned this semester!

Written by Cady Deck, Certificate ’19