Hopkins-Nanjing Center Blog

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 Internat...

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...

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 corr...