MAIS Student Profile: Nanjing-based student reflects on balancing internships with her studies

Yingting Fu is a MAIS student and ERE concentrator at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. She is currently based in Nanjing, China. Yingting spoke with us about balancing coursework, internships, and writing her thesis.

Yingting and her corgi, 旺仔

Can you tell us about yourself and your background? 

During my undergraduate studies I studied at Pennsylvania State University, majoring in English and Chinese. That’s when I first heard of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. I wanted to try out the program, so I first went on a foreign exchange program at Nanjing University for two weeks in the summer. I liked it so much that I applied to the HNC, where I am currently concentrating on Energy, Resources and Environment (ERE).

What motivated you to apply to the HNC and how did you choose your concentration?

When I first heard about the Hopkins-Nanjing Center MAIS degree, it stood out as a really strong program that allows you to study in China and get in-depth cultural immersion. Typically, the cohort is made up of half international students, and half Chinese students, which creates a balance between different cultures, and really promotes a sense of community. When I first applied, I just wanted to concentrate on Chinese studies because I was primarily focused on Chinese culture and was really interested in Professor Hua Tao’s “Social Issues of China’s Modernization” class. I then decided to add on my ERE concentration after taking Professor Raufer’s class on air pollution, sparking my interest in that field of research.

What do you hope to do after you graduate?

I would like to stay in China, preferably in Nanjing. I previously did an internship in business development and am now doing another internship in sales and marketing, which I really enjoy. Even though it can get quite overwhelming, I enjoy the balance between a very busy pace and at times a more steady and slow rhythm. I am therefore exploring different options in business development or sales and marketing.

What is your current role in your internship, and how does that tie in with your HNC studies?

In my current internship, I focus on the US area in the sales and marketing department of a translation company. I am responsible for contacting clients in the US to find potential leads or new clients that would like to partner with us or use our services. The Hopkins-Nanjing Center helped me a lot with social networking, which is incredibly useful in my current position. The HNC organizes several events, such as the Asia Career Trek, that took us to Shanghai and Hong Kong. This experience helped me understand social networking in a work environment, which now has helped me connect better with clients. 

I also had a previous summer internship at AmCham Shanghai (American Chamber of Commerce), where I mostly helped organize events, such as seminars on applying for a work visa for foreigners, to help China-based companies learn how to recruit foreign talent, and a dragon-boat race for a team-bonding activity. This summer internship worked out well because it still gave me time to work on my thesis.

Before that, while taking classes at the HNC I also interned for IPwe, a global innovation management platform. It was my first formal internship, and it helped me gain a better understanding of what I would or would not want to focus on for my future career. At IPwe, I was assigned a project for which I mainly conducted research on specific products and machinery and their operation and usage.

How do you balance your studies and internship? Do you have any advice or tips for future students?

I think the key to balancing studies and an internship is time management and organization. With my current internship, I make sure to optimize my time as much as possible, by taking advantage of my lunch breaks to get some editing or research done for my thesis, and by getting some reading done on my phone during my commute. Once I get home, I also strive to get an hour’s worth of work done on my thesis before starting anything else. For the weekends, I try to allocate 5 hours to my thesis on Saturdays and Sundays, be it adding information or reading more articles. During an earlier internship at IPwe, I also had to manage my time quite seriously, to make sure I could get all my coursework done during the week and then work 20 hours for my internship on Saturdays and Sundays. This kind of discipline and habit can go a long way in balancing studies and internships. With some organization and long-term planning of your school and internship workloads, balancing both is entirely doable.

My main advice would be to not overdo it, especially when discussing your work hours with your employer. They will consider the fact that you are a student, but it is also a good idea to start small, maybe around 10 hours per week, and then increase your work hours depending on your comfort level. You also want to be sure you're getting enough sleep! Lack of or poor-quality sleep will have a real impact on your studies, so remember that it is important not to overwork yourself.

Written by Sophia Pradels, MAIS '24

Making Global Connections at the Global Youth Trends Forum

Paula Andrea and Catalina González-Mojica at the Global Youth Trends Forum 

Paula Andrea González-Mojica and Catalina González-Mojica, two Hopkins-Nanjing Center students studying in Taipei this year under a Johns Hopkins SAIS visiting arrangement, first learned about the 2022 Global Youth Trends Forum in mid-July, when the SAIS Global Careers Office shared information about the event.

The Global Youth Trends Forum is a four-day event hosted by Taiwan’s Youth Development Administration to advance international exchange between young people. The event included a two-day trip to Taipei’s Beitou district, Guanxi Township of Hsinchu County, technological research centers, and the TSMC Museum of Innovation. The Forum included panels about the metaverse, artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, and social media. 

Paula and Catalina were most intrigued by the topic of the 2022 forum: “Meta-Verse Era.” “Opportunities like this don’t show up every day,” Paula replied when asked about her decision to attend the forum, “I was convinced that it would enrich my knowledge about digitalization while also meeting other young people from Taiwan and around the world.”  

Catalina had lunch with a student from Tanzania, Asma Salim, who gave a speech about the importance of managing the influence of social media on our lives. They discussed their thoughts about young people studying abroad becoming unofficial representatives for their home countries. “We also discussed all the huge potential that developing countries have to incorporate artificial intelligence and IC to achieve technological innovation and sustainable development,” Catalina said. “We both plan to return to our homeland to be leaders of change.”

Paula shared a similar experience, describing an enlightening exchange with an AI engineer named Chadrick at the “World Café" in the Forum. “I had a really good time sharing my thoughts and listening to other peers from all around the world speak about their ideas,” she stated.  

Students present at the Forum

Paula and Catalina found the Forum relevant to their career goals. “As an environmental engineer, this opened a window of possibilities, especially within my future coursework,” Catalina said. “I consider AI as the only way to transition into smart and green cities. The answers to urban challenges can be found within an analog physical world where new technologies, software systems, connectivity, and computational models can help us analyze and implement more effective solutions.”  

Paula and Catalina González-Mojica are students in the Hopkins-Nanjing Center Certificate in Chinese and American Studies program, focusing their studies on Energy, Resources, and Environment (ERE). Paula studied civil engineering with an emphasis on structural design at Pontificia Javeriana University, and Catalina majored in environmental engineering at the University of the Andes. They are from Bogotá, Colombia, and are currently based in Taipei.

Written by Betty Thai, HNC Certificate + SAIS MAIR '23

Hybrid Courses at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center

In August 2022 supporting Chinese visa documentation was secured for all international Hopkins-Nanjing Center students. As the issuance of Chinese student visas becomes increasingly normalized, HNC students are starting to make their way back to the classroom in Nanjing. 

To provide in-person learning opportunities to students currently located in Nanjing, while continuing to help students located outside of Nanjing to attend classes virtually, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center has begun to experiment with hybrid classes. Through the use of educational technology, some classes have resumed in-person education, while live streaming the class to students who remain online. Teachers have been able to use Zoom to share digital media with students online, while using an LED smart blackboard to share the same media with students in Nanjing, creating an interactive classroom experience for all students involved.

Professor Zhao Shudong speaks to students in International Trade Theory & Policy 

In the first few experiments with hybrid classes, professors and students alike found themselves more focused and energetic in class. Some students, like Austin Bliss, MAIS '23, a student in Professor Hua Tao’s Social Problems of China’s Modernization, reported that the in-person component helped him pay better attention during class discussion. Others, like Wang Zikun, MAIS '24, a student in Professor Zhao Shudong’s International Trade Theory & Policy found that the offline format helped him connect better with the professor. “The hybrid courses helped me realize my professor’s teaching ability and gave me an opportunity to communicate with him about the course,” Zikun said.  

So far, hybrid classes are in the experimental stage. Teachers and students alike are learning best practices to maximize engagement with students both online and in-person. “It’s great to be back teaching in person and the students seem to appreciate it too,” said Dr. Paul Armstrong-Taylor, Resident Professor of International Economics at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, “I’ve only taught a week of hybrid classes, so there is still a lot to learn about best techniques, how to integrate the experience of online and in-person students, and how to use the equipment most effectively. But, at least, it is another step towards normality.”

Professor Paul Armstrong-Taylor teaching Comparative Economics in Nanjing

This semester, we've taken the first few steps towards offering courses in hybrid mode. In the coming months, the HNC hopes to expand hybrid classes based on the past few months’ experience, offering as many in-person and hybrid learning opportunities as possible on the ground in Nanjing. 

Written by Alec Nash, MAIS '24