Committee of 100: Greater China Conference & Gala 2019

Student blogger Amanda Walencewicz (Certificate '20) writes about her experience as one of five Hopkins-Nanjing Center students participating in the Committee of 100’s C100 Scholars Program. 

(L-R) Joshua Cartwright, Erica Carvell, Alex Cowen, Eric Lacour, and Amanda Walencewicz receive certificates for their acceptance to the C100 Scholars Program.

This year, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) was invited to nominate five students for the Committee of 100’s C100 Scholars Program, a program for outstanding Chinese scholars in its fifteenth year that was recently expanded to include American scholars. The 2019 program includes a trip to Shanghai for the C100 Greater China Conference and Gala and a study tour of Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, and Hangzhou in January 2020.  

The Greater China Conference and Gala took place the first weekend of December at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Shanghai, with the HNC cohort arriving on Friday afternoon for a C100 Scholars welcome dinner. There we met over 50 more 2019 C100 Scholars from universities across China and five major international programs: Yenching Academy at Peking University, Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University, Duke Kunshan, and NYU Shanghai. Our Hopkins-Nanjing Center group especially got to know the scholars from Nanjing University, and plan to get dinner with the 2019 scholars and past C100 alumni soon.  

Joshua Cartwright and Erica Carvell talk to C100 member Dr. Edmond Pi

The next day began with the business summit portion of the conference, featuring panels on market access and IP protection, the future of financial technology, innovation in healthcare, and the development of Asian consumerism. It was an opportunity to hear leaders across a variety of sectors discuss current prospects and challenges in the business landscape in China. Later that evening, we attended the awards gala dinner, which honored President George H.W. Bush for a lifetime of advancing U.S.-China relations and included performances from opera singers Zhang Jun and Tian Haojiang. 

The Hopkins-Nanjing Center cohort listens to a panel during the business summit.

Sunday was devoted to the C100 Scholars Program, beginning with an awards ceremony for all participants. The day also involved two more panels on higher education and entrepreneurship, and keynotes from the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and the Chancellor of NYU Shanghai. Most valuable for us scholars, however, was the mentorship program session, in which scholars could choose between 20 tables with two mentors each and chat with them for an hour. Making these kinds of connections was an emphasis of the entire program, and it was great to meet professionals from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds.  

Amanda Walencewicz (left) listens to advice from C100 member Dr. David C. Chang.

The weekend ended with another dinner for all of the scholars, where we elected the Chinese and American presidents of our 2019 cohort (including the Hopkins-Nanjing Center’s own Erica Carvell as American co-president). 

Hopkins-Nanjing Center student Erica Carvell (left), Priscilla Guo of Schwarzman College, and Sun Huaxin of Sun Yat-sen University were elected the presidents of the C100 Scholars Class of 2019.

Exhausted from a full weekend of activities, we reluctantly left our fellow scholars and rushed to catch our train back to Nanjing. I left Shanghai grateful for the experience and looking forward to our study trip in January 2020. 

Written by Amanda Walencewicz, HNC Certificate '20

Things to do in Nanjing: Near and Far!

Student blogger Will Putzier (Certificate '20 + Johns Hopkin SAIS MA '21) writes about local spots and activities in Nanjing.

As one of China’s four ancient capitals, most recently during the Republican era in the early 20^th century, Nanjing is a city with a rich and varied history. Accordingly, there are many important sights in the city that students can explore during their time here. Nanjing also offers a plethora of delicious eats for students to take advantage of throughout the year.

Near Campus

The Hopkins-Nanjing Center is located in the downtown area of Nanjing, meaning students have a rich variety of places to check out near the HNC.

Some students brew their own coffee or buy from the student-run coffee shop in the lounge, while others venture to one of several nearby coffee shops on a daily basis. Price, quality, and distance from campus vary, but most of the coffee is quite satisfying. A coffee shop called Jianshe opened this summer around the corner from the HNC. It is a cozy spot for homework (or Instagramming your cute study setup). Across the street is a tiny spot called Ivory Fruit Coffee that offers high quality coffee, if you feel like having pour-over to start your day. If you want solid, cheap coffee there are additional options less than a 10-minute walk from campus. They offer lattes for CNY15 (barely over $2 at the current exchange rate), an insanely cheap price compared to the United States!

I'll start studying right after I post this to my story...

For breakfast options besides the cafeteria, students often grab baozi or head to one of several bing stands scattered around the area.

By this point in the year, most students have found their go-to restaurants. When I am looking for a quick meal, I frequent a Lanzhou noodle place or a Korean stone bowl restaurant down the street from the HNC. Often a group of friends and I will go to a Taiwanese rice restaurant and chow down on dishes such as yuxiang eggplant and mapo tofu. A bit further away is Hankou road, with plentiful options including biangbiang noodles, braised chicken rice, spicy numbing stir-fry (malaxiangguo), and bubble tea.

Malaxiangguo near Hankou road

In the evening students can also enjoy a drink at one of several bars nearby. On Thursdays some students participate in a weekly trivia night, but they always make sure they get to bed at a reasonable hour!

Beyond food and drinks, there are a few historic places of interest near campus. I found this out when Professor Joe Renouard led a walking tour of the Yihelu district one Friday afternoon. The area was developed during the Republican era and contains the former US embassy and former residence of George Marshall (of the Marshall plan), among others. Massive sycamore trees flank the streets here and elsewhere around Nanjing. These trees are a defining attribute of the city and its past, having been maintained for many decades.

Students explore the Yihelu district near campus. 

Farther away

Although Nanjing is a medium-sized city by Chinese standards (around 8 million people), the city is easily accessible by the subway station literally around the corner from the HNC.

My first view upon leaving the train at Nanjing Station was the beautiful Xuanwu lake. Beyond nice views of the city, the area also includes sections of Nanjing’s Ming-era walls and tree-lined walking paths.

First view of Nanjing

Xinjiekou might be considered the city center and is often the destination for students who want to go shopping. It is less than a 20-minute subway ride from the HNC, but walking is also possible. Among a huge variety of stores in the area, Xinjiekou has the largest Muji I have ever seen, complete with its own café and restaurant.

Nanjing’s historical sites abound, including the Ming-era walls, Confucius Temple area, and others. Purple Mountain contains the tomb of the Hongwu emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty. Sun Yat-sen, China’s first president following the Qing dynasty, was also laid to rest on the Purple Mountain. The mountain may be more of a large hill, but it is definitely advisable to bring comfortable shoes. After climbing up and down the 392 steps to the main hall, I treated myself with ice cream at the adjacent KFC. Purple Mountain is supposed to be beautiful when the leaves change, so I will be sure to make another trip this autumn!

A view from the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Nanjing is also famous for a dark chapter in China’s history. The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders extensively documents the Nanjing Massacre of 1937. The memorial and museum is somber, but highly informative and well worth a visit.

The Zifeng tower on a sunny autumn day

Other attractions I have yet to explore in Nanjing include the Confucius temple area and the Nanjing Museum. Luckily I still have plenty of time for a visit!

Written by Will Putzier (Certificate '20 + Johns Hopkins SAIS MA '21)

Hopkins-Nanjing Center Alumni Profile: Julia Bowie

Julia Bowie, Certificate ’15, is an analyst and editor at Party Watch Initiative, a program of the Center for Advanced China Research that specializes in original analysis of government-controlled Chinese language publications to promote better understanding of Chinese domestic and foreign affairs.

What current project at the Center for Advanced China Research are you most excited about and why?

Right now I'm editing a compilation of essays about the Chinese Communist Party's first centenary goals, a collection of targets for the economy, environment, etc., that must be met by 2021, the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the CCP. The project has allowed me to seek out the expertise of very experienced China scholars and basically have them answer questions that I can't answer myself. 

How did you become interested in China and end up at the HNC?

I never planned on becoming a China specialist but when you begin learning about China, you quickly find that understanding the country and learning the language are all-absorbing pursuits. I randomly signed up for a seminar on Chinese politics my first semester of college and met other students who encouraged me to take the introductory Chinese class. Having studied Spanish since age 5, taking a language that was so different sounded like an interesting challenge. I specifically remember my friend saying, "by the end of the year, you'll be able to speak Chinese!" This turned out to not be true at all but the prospect of being able to speak Chinese! kept me invested. 

I went to China after graduating from college to teach English in Shenzhen for what I thought would only be one year, but I found myself seeking more immersive experiences. This led me to teach at a college in a small city in northern Shaanxi Province (the only other Americans there were some potato farmers brought in to improve local potato cultivation practices), and then to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. The same friend who had promised me I'd be speaking Chinese after one year of study had attended the HNC the year before and encouraged me to apply. 

How did your experience at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center prepare you for being a China Analyst?

The HNC gave me the confidence to tackle Chinese-language resources in my research, a must-have skill for any China analyst. I remember my first assignment at the HNC was to read a chapter in our Chinese foreign policy textbook and give a presentation about it. It was a complete disaster, but by the end of the year, reading Chinese texts became much less daunting. 

Beyond that, taking classes alongside Chinese students in China was an invaluable experience that could not be replicated in the United States. Even though there are many international students in US classrooms, the opinions and perspectives of American students naturally tend to dominate class discussions. At the HNC, just the simple fact that Chinese students were more comfortable using Chinese than American students meant they often set the tone for class discussion. I still refer back to the things I learned from my Chinese classmates in Nanjing all the time. 

What was your most memorable moment while you were in Nanjing?

This might sound bad at first, but I remember feeling really humiliated after that first presentation I gave in Chinese that was a total disaster. But other students in the class were so nice about it and told me I did a good job, which I really appreciated. The HNC turned out to be a very supportive and non-judgmental environment for language learning. We ended up laughing a lot about any difficulties we were having and encouraging each other to try again and improve.  

On a personal note, I made some of my best friends at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. My best memories from the year are the things we did together, including a trip to Xinjiang during a week-long break and eating at the same chicken noodle soup restaurant multiple times a week. Four years later, two friends from the HNC are my roommates in DC. 

What advice would you give to current or future HNC students? 

First, the sharper your language skills are, the better your experience will be. If you're a little rusty, I recommend attending an intensive language program before the HNC. 

Second, I recommend establishing a language schedule with your Chinese roommate and sticking to it strictly. For example, my roommate and I would switch between English and Chinese on a daily basis and only speak one of the languages each day. Otherwise, we would fall back into me speaking English to her and her speaking Chinese to me, which wasn't great practice for either of us. 

Third, make an effort to step away from your books and enjoy Nanjing. There are so many things I didn't see because I was in the library too much! I highly recommend buying a scooter to explore the city (but please wear a helmet). There's a guy down the street that will sell you one and he’ll probably buy it back at the end of the year.

Interview by Cady Deck, Certificate ‘19 + Johns Hopkins SAIS MA ’20