Hopkins-Nanjing Center Blog

Hopkins-Nanjing Center students began class this week following the Lunar New Year holiday. Chris Hankin, MAIS '24, seized the time off to travel China. In our latest blog post, Chris provides insights into the landscape of New Energy Vehicles in China, one of his academic interests at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. In a cabin in northeast China           As the Spring Festival winds down and classes at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center return to normal, State-run media is awash in statistics about the holiday travel. Data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed that between February 10th and 18th, travelers made 474 million domestic trips. That represents a 34.4% increase compared to the same period during 2023. More importantly, that represents a 19% increase compared with 2019.           If you read that and think, “who cares?” you are not alone. Chinese government offices measure and report even the most mundane da...

Adjusting to life in China has ups and downs. Most everyone experiences some sort of culture shock and adjustment period when coming to a new country, and for HNC students it’s no different. In this post, students Alexandra Yarashevich (HNC Certificate ’24), Jacqualine Asuquo (MAIS ’24), and Peter Burds (MAIS ’25) talk about their experiences adjusting to life in China. How was your experience adjusting to life in China? Alexandra: It was very smooth, especially at the HNC, since they’re used to having international students come here and adjust to life. It went very smoothly, but of course, there were some difficulties, like the health checks and applying for the resident permit. However, the arrival guide that Deputy Co-Director John Urban continues to update was very comprehensive. Students generally go through the same process at the same time, so the transition time is as smooth as it can be. Peter: The language has been one of the hardest parts for me, but otherwise it has been ...

As the fall 2023 semester ended, 20 HNC students made their way to Shanghai for a career trek. They met with various employers to discuss careers and possible internship and career opportunities. Students were also able to meet with alumni and employers at an alumni mixer. In this post, first-year MAIS student Savannah Glaves dives into the Shanghai career trek experience. The 2024 Winter Shanghai Career Trek was one for the books. It brought many insights to not just me, but all the other students involved. For myself, this was my first experience outside of the HNC to connect with alumni and employers I could potentially work for in the future, and I was able to learn about many different career prospects for myself in the private sector. Specifically, this year’s career trek lasted for three days with a focus on consulting firms. We were able to meet with various employers, including Intralink, Lantau Group, APCO Worldwide, Control Risks, and the American Chamber of Commerce. They a...

Hopkins-Nanjing Center students come from across the globe, spend time diving into China, and then disperse back out into the world in all sorts of careers. Peter M. Drucker, MAIS '17, has worked in China, the Netherlands, and now is back in the US at an intelligence company. Let's learn more about his incredible journey at the HNC and beyond. Name: Peter M. Drucker Current Location: Washington, DC HNC Program and Graduation Year: MAIS 2017 Current Organization and Position: Senior Analyst at Janes HNC 2017 alum Peter M. Drucker currently works with an enthusiastic group with Janes Geoeconomic Influence and Threat Intelligence team. On this team, he helps public and private clients keep abreast of China and Russia’s international activity. Peter’s career thus far has mostly been focused on China’s domestic activity, so this is an exciting shift for him. Originally from Albany, NY, Peter embarked on his journey into international studies at Norwich University in Vermont. His pas...

HNC and SAIS alumni pursue a wide variety of careers in the public and private sectors. A recent HNC alumna has found her path in international business at a familiar company, the Walmart corporation. Natalie Craig HNC Certificate '20 + SAIS MA '21 Location: Northwest Arkansas Current Position: Global Leverage Buyer at the Sam's Club Home Office Tell us about your career and your current role. After graduating from SAIS, I took a role at Walmart as a buyer for Walmart US in the oral care department. This allowed me to learn a lot about the business and also shaped a path towards my current position. I am currently at Sam's Club as a liaison between Sam's US, China, and Mexico. I get to work between these three markets as a buyer in the freezer, cooler, and deli area where I help to share cultural insights, source products for the markets, and leverage our scale to provide the best value to our members. How did you become interested in China and what drew you to the ...

The HNC attracts a wide variety of students with different backgrounds united by a common interest in US-China studies. The three students below highlight their path to the HNC, advice to future students, and their plans going forward. Let’s meet Stephany, Feiyu, and Chris! Stephany Stephany Su 苏睿琦 HNC Certificate + MAIR '25 Concentration: Development, Climate, and Sustainability Hometown: Berkeley, California       Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley Cheng Feiyu 程飞羽 (Fred) MAIS '24 Concentration: International Economics Hometown: Luoyang, Henan Undergraduate Institution: Northeastern University 东北大学 Chris Hankin 林奎 MAIS '24 Concentration: Energy, Resources and Environment Hometown: Seattle, Washington Undergraduate Institution: Whitman College Why did you choose your program at the HNC? Stephany:  I heard about programs at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center early on in the beginning of high school and after learning Chinese for the majority of my life, I knew that I wanted to c...

Fall Break is a great opportunity to travel China and explore a wide range of cities, mountains, and rural towns. Following a strenuous midterm period filled with assignments, papers, and exams, students quickly dispersed across the country in groups or solo travel, even crossing paths at various points. Below are a few of the trips HNC students took over the week-long break. Tibet 西藏      The Tibet Autonomous Region is rich with culture, history, and an experience that few get the opportunity to see. This is due to the requirements for international travelers to visit, which include securing a standard entry permit for China and obtaining a Tibet visitor's permit through a Chinese travel agency. Visiting the region was on the bucket list of several students, including Brock Mullen, who organized a group of 7 students to visit the region.       After touching down in the capital city of Lhasa, the group had a 4-day adventure of Tibet, visiting severa...