Hopkins-Nanjing Center Blog

At the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC), students come from a variety of backgrounds, all with differing educational and professional experiences. To introduce this year’s cohort, we asked current students to tell us about their road to the HNC In this post, meet Natalie Craig, starting the HNC Certificate + Johns Hopkins SAIS MA program this year, and Nick Henderson, a first-year student in the Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) program. Name : Nick Henderson Program : Master of Arts in International Studies Undergraduate Institution and Major : Franklin and Marshall College ‘17, Government major and Chinese minor How did you become interested in China? Have you had any prior experiences here? In high school I became very good friends with a Chinese exchange student who was staying with my best friend’s family. As I got to know him, I realized that because we had the common language of English, we could share and understand each other. I started studying Chinese in...

At the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC), students come from a variety of backgrounds, all with differing educational and professional experiences. To introduce this year’s cohort, we asked current students to tell us about their road to the HNC. In this post, meet Noah Smith and Erica Carvell, two first-year students in the Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) program.  Name: Erica Carvell Program: Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) Undergraduate Institution and Major : Mount Holyoke College ‘16, International Relations How did you become interested in China? Have you had any prior experiences here? China is part of my personal background, but I only started studying the language in high school. Then in college I became interested in environmental studies and China’s role in those kinds of issues. The summer after my freshman year of college I studied in Beijing, and I spent my junior year in Kunming in another language intensive program. What professional...

This week’s “Wordless Wednesday” post features student blogger Brandy Darling’s experience with hanging out with her roommate and other friends from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) during a major Chinese holiday. Brandy captured photos at a couple tourist destinations in Nanjing that are relatively close to HNC. Many people visited Fuzi Miao, the Confucius Temple in Nanjing, to enjoy the weekend holiday.     The Qinhuai River in Nanjing Mural in the Taiping Rebellion Exhibition Hall Written by Brandy Darling, HNC Certificate ‘20 + Johns Hopkins SAIS MA ‘21

As I prepared to head to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) this September, I thought back to some of the daily realities of my experiences as a student in China. This included the regular ritual of trekking to buy jugs of Nongfu Spring water, attempting to workout in crowded university gyms, and wet bathroom floors hours after my roommate or I showered. To be sure, these were minor inconveniences, but arriving at the HNC and realizing these issues were solved was a delightful surprise. The HNC’s amenities are an undersold aspect of the program, and these have defined my daily routine. As an avid coffee drinker, I live by my French press for morning coffee. Using the HNC’s filtered drinking water and ice machine, I am able to enjoy homemade cold brew every morning. Once I have poured my coffee, the courtyard and three rooftop terraces are excellent spots to relax and read before class. I have heard autumn in Nanjing is the best, so I will definitely be taking advantage of these ameni...

Meet our new student bloggers in Nanjing! Brandy Darling, Will Putzier, and Amanda Walencewicz will be sharing their experiences studying and living at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) throughout the academic year. Brandy Darling, HNC Certificate ’20 + Johns Hopkins SAIS MA ’21 Hi! My name is Brandy Darling and I am a Certificate student at the HNC. I plan to pursue the Johns Hopkins SAIS MA after earning my HNC Certificate, concentrating in International Economics and International Political Economy. This past May, I graduated from Connecticut College with a BA in Economics and East Asian studies, and a Certificate in International Studies and the Liberal Arts. I began studying Chinese in high school eight years ago; I learned about the HNC during my junior year of high school when I visited China the first time. That summer, I studied Chinese in Shanghai, met American professionals in China and visited different cities such as Nanjing and Hangzhou. After the summer before my ...