Reflections on Bologna from an HNC Student at SAIS Europe

Nick Kaufman, Certificate '21, shares his experience as one of almost 20 Hopkins-Nanjing Center students who chose to temporarily relocate to SAIS Europe for in-person/hybrid instruction in Bologna, Italy.

As midterms end at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, preparation for Thanksgiving begins. The HNC seems to mark this happy coincidence by giving students a week off from classes; a welcome relief for all.

Nick Kaufman takes virtual classes from professors
in China, in addition to in-person coursework in Bologna.
(Anna Fantuzzi/John Hopkins University)

For a student like me, in their first semester of classes, this break is particularly appreciated. My classes thus far have been difficult but rewarding. In these past few weeks, I’ve had presentations in every one of my HNC classes. In Professor Cai Jiahe’s class on Chinese Foreign Policy, I presented on Chinese naval power and discussed its implications for regions like the South China Sea. In Professor Zheng Anguang’s International Organizations and Global Governance class, I presented on U.N. peacekeeping missions, performing a case study on the U.N. mission in Kosovo and recommending further actions to assure stability in the region. In Professor Hua Tao’s Social Problems with China’s Modernization, perhaps my most demanding course, I prepared for my oral midterm examination, reviewing topics from the one-child policy to state industry reform in order to be ready for our 20-minute exam window.

In the moment, all of these projects came with their stresses and anxieties. However, looking back I am struck by how much I’ve learned. From specialized facts of a Chinese province to broad theories of China’s role in the world, my knowledge of China has grown rapidly in these first few months. Furthermore, I can talk about all of these new facts and concepts in Chinese.

Still, a break was much needed and I was eager to take some time to myself to enjoy and explore Bologna. Being among the "HNC-in-exile" crowd able to be at SAIS Europe in person has brought a fair share of advantages. Academically, I am able to attend some in person classes and meet and bond with my HNC cohort and several HNC professors who have made the trip to Italy. Even as coronavirus restrictions tighten across the world, SAIS Europe has remained open, with dutifully masked-up and socially-distanced students gathering at the center for class, work in the library, and talks in the auditorium.

Bologna, Italy (RossHelen/Getty Images)

Bologna as a city serves in stark contrast to what I’m used to in China. While Chinese food will always have my heart, the pastas and sauces of northern Italy have proved able replacements, while steadily expanding my waistline. The historic center of Bologna, dimmed by the long shadows of renaissance era churches and populated by students of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the world, is a world away from the hyper-modern infrastructure and construction of Eastern China. I’ve been struck by the diversity of Bologna as well, not just around SAIS, but spread across the north of the city. I hear Arabic, Italian, Polish, and Chinese on my walk to class. After spending time in China’s Anhui Province last year, a largely homogenous region dominated by the Han majority, there's something refreshing about walking through all these little cultural enclaves.

Wanting to use my time off wisely, I recently decided to go exploring in the countryside around Bologna with a few fellow HNCers. On a Sunday, we packed prosciutto sandwiches from a local storefront and set off due north along a canal. Before long we were out of the city. On the right was a little river, on the left were changing scenes of woods, small towns, and wide-open planting fields waiting to grow again in the spring. Eventually we stopped and picked up a few drinks and chatted under a sprawling oak tree. While all of us can speak Mandarin, we opted for English on this lazy Sunday. Eventually we turned back and tracked the old Bologna-Padua rail line back to Bologna.

For all of us, the week of Thanksgiving brings a certain pang of homesickness. Most are accustomed to trekking back to their hometowns for Thanksgiving and the holidays and several are experiencing a first Thanksgiving away from their families. However, this week has given every student a type of release from class to invest in spending time with each other, taking trips, going exploring, and building camaraderie. Experiences we’re sure to be thankful for when we sit down for dinner on Thursday. I’ve been assigned to make the chocolate chip cookies.

Written by Nick Kaufman, HNC Certificate '21.

From HNC to DC: The COVID-19 Edition

Student blogger, Brandy Darling (HNC Certificate ‘20 + SAIS MA ‘21), shares her experience transitioning from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center to the Johns Hopkins SAIS campus in Washington, DC to complete the MA(IR) portion of her program. 

Nanjing City Wall

The Academic Transition 

After writing papers and reading articles in Mandarin for a year at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC), it took me a while to adjust to SAIS DC. The thought process I used for writing a paper in Mandarin do not match the same methods I use for papers in English. Also, assignments are typically stretched out over longer periods of time at SAIS DC, which made the adjustment that much slower for me. This is something I continue to develop as I go throughout the semester, but the best solution I’ve found so far is to start papers early. That way, I have more time to put my thoughts in order, research relevant information and evidence, and polish the paper to perfection before the due date. It’s easy to become busy while at SAIS, so starting papers early is a good practice. 

When you come to SAIS DC, you will indeed be using all the knowledge you accumulated from the HNC. Sometimes you might feel that since you went to the HNC, you should know more than the next person about China, but that's simply not true. You do, however, bring the experience of learning from Chinese professors and classmates in Mandarin to your expanded SAIS community. The conversations you had and the papers you wrote will influence the way you think about certain issues, particularly those that relate to Sino-US relations; such topics will be heavily discussed inside and outside of the classroom at SAIS DC. It’s been fun to meet others at SAIS DC who understand China in different ways to me, such as those with purely business interests in the region, or those with a familial connection (e.g. their partner is from China). The HNC experience, therefore, should not be a burden on you to know everything about China when you come to SAIS DC. The HNC experience should instead enhance your discussions and relationships, both inside and outside of the classroom.  

The Social Transition 

Johns Hopkins SAIS-DC

The SAIS community grows even more when you head to SAIS DC. I take classes with people from a variety of backgrounds: students from the SAIS Europe campus, international students from all over the globe, retired World Bankers, and students fresh out of undergrad. I keep up with virtual events through the cohort’s group chat and by joining student organizations. I enjoy going to China Club virtual happy hours to connect with other people interested in China in a fun way. I also attend many Black Student Union events to connect with fellow SAISers of similar background and interests.  

Meeting people has admittedly been difficult due to the pandemic, but it has not been impossible. Knowing someone virtually doesn’t feel real until I met them in person. However, I’ve gotten to know some classmates through study groups, group projects, and breakout rooms. SAIS DC might be bigger than the HNC, but it too is a small community and once you begin recognizing the same people in classes and at events, it becomes less weird to speak to them and get to know them on a virtual platform. Other students want to meet people too, so it has been easy to reach out to fellow students, introduce myself, or to say hello at SAIS events because you recognize them from a class discussion. 

The Personal & Professional Transition 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the election were rough patches in the semester that made my HNC-to-DC experience quite unique. Finding housing in DC was stressful due to less apartment tours. As a result of social distancing restrictions, in-person networking lost momentum in one of the most vibrant cities in the country. Also, with last minute cancellations, all plans seemed to float in midair. In the end, I still ultimately decided to move to DC because I knew that I needed to be here to focus. I joined many different housing Facebook groups and received neighborhood advice and tips from the cohort’s group chat. Additionally, being in the same city as the school (just like I was in Nanjing) gives me a focus and a drive to keep working hard. Since moving to DC, my networking opportunities have been numerous, despite the pandemic. Career clubs are famous at the school, with high levels of participation from members. Career clubs like Careers in Diplomacy and Consulting Club host events that I enjoy attending, such as networking events and career panels that cater to my professional interests. Networking sessions with SAIS alumni are the most intriguing, especially when I heard from an HNC Certificate + SAIS DC alumni like myself. Their journey helps put my SAIS experience into perspective. SAIS-CARI (China-Africa research institute) also hosts conferences that interest me and even provoke me to reach out to outside speakers. Overall, the move to DC, coupled with my yearning to network, ended up being the right choice for me. Yes, I could’ve stayed home and had the same virtual opportunities, but in my experience, moving to DC gave me the environment and motivation to grow professionally throughout the semester.  

Overall, my move from the HNC to DC during this time of COVID-19 has definitely been one for the books! 

Written by Brandy Darling, HNC Certificate '20 + SAIS MA '21.

Writing a Strong HNC Application Essay: Tips for Success

The statement of purpose and any other writing submissions are critical pieces to your application to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC). Your response to the writing prompt(s) not only demonstrates your writing ability, but also allows the admissions committee to get to know you as more than just your test scores, transcripts, and resume. Below are just a few tips to keep in mind as you respond to the writing prompts for your program of interest.

Statement of Purpose 
The statement of purpose is an application requirement for all Hopkins-Nanjing Center programs. Each applicant is required to answer one of the following prompts, depending on the intended program of study: 

MAIS applicants and HNC Certificate applicants (including Certificate + MAIA)

Tell us why you want to study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and how studying at the HNC would contribute to your academic and professional goals. Please submit your essay in English only. Chinese characters do not display correctly. (600-800 words).

HNC Certificate + Johns Hopkins SAIS MAIR applicants

Discuss how the HNC Certificate/Johns Hopkins SAIS MAIR will contribute to your academic and professional goals. What experiences have most contributed to your desire to study international relations? (600-800 words).

Answer the prompt.  It may seem obvious, but some applicants submit essays that do not fully answer the statement of purpose prompt. Review your essay and make sure that you are clearly answering all parts of the prompt. The admissions committee is looking to see that you have thought out why you want to study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and how the program will support your academic and professional goals. It is okay if you do not have a five-year career plan.

Offer clarifications. If you plan on utilizing the summer before starting at the HNC to improve your Chinese language proficiency, the statement of purpose is a good place to briefly address these plans. For clarifications regarding academic performance you may wish to include, feel free to do so in the Additional Questions section of the application under "Academic History".

Be specific.  Applicants with the best essays give concrete examples of what motivated them to continue studying China, Chinese, and why they want to study in Nanjing. The Hopkins-Nanjing Center is a unique program, so we are interested in learning specifically why you are applying and how it will benefit your future career goals. Avoid just telling us why you want to attend graduate school; instead, tailor your essay to highlight why you want to attend the Hopkins-Nanjing Center specifically. 

Be memorable.  The essay should not simply restate information already provided in your resume, but should instead provide additional information to give the admissions committee a fuller picture of your motivations for studying at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. For example, one past applicant wrote about lessons he learned from his friendship with a Chinese classmate. Another explained her interest in public health through her interactions volunteering at a clinic. Other applicants highlight how their work or internship experiences exposed them to a certain issue that they want to explore at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Not everything is learned in the classroom! 

Avoid clichés. As an example, one of the most common clichés we encounter involves applicants writing that they hope to become a "bridge" between China and the US. It may be true, and it is a noble cause, but this statement does not let the admissions committee know what and why you want to study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Get specific and write from your own experiences. 

Be concise. The word count for the statement of purpose is 600-800 words. However, do not feel like you need to meet the maximum requirement if it does not add anything new. If you can answer the prompt completely in 600 words, you can stop there. It is better to be concise than to repeat similar ideas or phrases in order to increase the word count. 

Thesis Essay (MAIS Applicants Only)
In addition to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center statement of purpose, MAIS applicants are also required to submit a thesis essay in support of their application:

MAIS applicants

Please discuss in detail your proposed thesis topic. (Approximately 600 words. Please note your proposed thesis topic may be altered once studying at the HNC).

Please rest assured that the topic you select for your thesis essay and the thesis you may ultimately write as a MAIS student can be different! You are not locked into the topic selected for your application. The thesis essay is an opportunity for the admissions committee to see that you have a particular area of interest related to China, and that you have put thought into a potential research topic and the process for developing it while a student at the HNC.

Write about a single thesis topic.  You will notice that we ask you to write about only one area of interest for your thesis topic. While it may be tempting to discuss multiple ideas to show you have a variety of interests, you should commit to only one topic. Discussing a multitude of research ideas can show a lack of focus to the admissions committee, so it is better to use this essay to demonstrate your analytic skills and go into depth with one particular area of interest.  

Additional Writing Prompts
If you are applying for either the HNC Certificate + SAIS MAIR Program or the HNC Certificate + SAIS Europe MAIA program, please be prepared to submit additional essays specific to that particular program. Keep in mind that while there is a single application for the HNC Certificate + SAIS MAIR program, the HNC Certificate + SAIS Europe MAIA program requires two separate applications.

HNC Certificate + Johns Hopkins SAIS MAIR applicants

Essay: Analyze an important national or international challenge and recommend a policy to address it. Please keep your answer to no more than 600 words. 

(Click here for tips from the DC admissions team for the MAIR analytical essay).

HNC Certificate + SAIS Europe MAIA applicants

Statement of Purpose: Discuss your goals for graduate study and for your professional career. What experiences have most contributed to your desire to study international relations? What topic will your research thesis focus on and how will Johns Hopkins SAIS serve to meet your academic and professional goals? This essay should be no more than 600 words.

Essay: Analyze an important national or international challenge and recommend a policy to address it. Please keep your answer to no more than 600 words.

While the analytical essay should be related to international relations or economics, it does not need to be related to China specifically. We also encourage you to select a topic you are excited to write about, whether it be a well-addressed topic you analyze in a unique approach, or one that is specific to your interests or experiences.