Hopkins-Nanjing Center Blog

Brandy Darling, HNC Certificate '20 + SAIS MA '21, had the opportunity to interview HNC professor Dr. Paul Dottin, who recently led a mini course on the Black Lives Matter movement. Dr. Dottin’s mini course titled Black Lives Matter in Social Movement Theory explored the origin and or ganization of the Black Lives Matter movement, important actors and strategies, as well as the movement’s international  manifestations and intended outcomes. This extracurricular course engaged students from all three campuses in academic study and critical discussion of this global movement for equality. Tell me about your journey in crafting this course and its impact across all three SAIS campuses.  Given the speed and scale of racial unrest sparked by George Floyd’s murder, Dr. Webb [HNC American Co-Director] and I wanted to create a course that would examine the BLM movement critically. What was conceived as a mini-course for HNC students in Nanjing quickly graduated into a four-country aff...

Lauren Gloudeman, HNC Certificate '12 + SAIS MA '13, is an Associate Director at Rhodium Group’s China Practice, where she  focuses on China’s trade dynamics and US-China trade policy, its economic reform agenda and implementation, and its macroeconomy and industrial activity.  How did you become interested in China and end up at the HNC? I've always loved language study, and during undergrad, I signed up for Chinese language on a whim. I did an intensive summer course in Shanghai and made Chinese language and literature my second major (the first was philosophy) upon my return. After years of bopping back and forth to China, I received a scholarship to study Chinese linguistics at Nanjing University after college, and was living at the dorms next to the HNC, not realizing that the program existed. When I learned about the HNC, I applied and started studying there the following year. How did your experience at the HNC and SAIS DC together prepare you for your current positi...

Nick Kaufman, Certificate '21, had an opportunity to speak with Professor Hua Tao, who teaches Ethnic Minorities in Chinese Society (少数民族与中国社会 ) and Social Issues of China’s Modernization (中国现代化中的社会问题) at the HNC. This year, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center celebrates its 35th anniversary as a center for study, research, and cultural exchange. The HNC hosts a large array of international and Chinese faculty, with many professors leaving long-lasting influence on their students.  One professor who has left his mark on generations of HNC students—both in the classroom and in the broader HNC community—is Professor Hua Tao.   Professor Hua first arrived at the HNC in 1994. Having previously researched Turkic ethnic groups on the medieval Mongolian steppe at Nanjing University, the first class he taught at the HNC examined Chinese ethnic minorities. 27 years later, he is still teaching a version of that class today: Ethnic Minorities in Chinese Society.  Professor Hua believes ...

Recent alumna Cady Deck, HNC Certificate '19 + SAIS MA '20, shares how her Chinese language and analytical skills developed at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) and Johns Hopkins SAIS support her work as an analyst at the Center for Advanced China Research. Tell us about your career and your current role.   I'm currently working as an analyst at the Center for Advanced China Research (CACR). I actually met my boss in undergrad when I talked to him after a panel. I guess it's true that networking can be a very important part of the job search, even if one might not realize it at the time. In my current role, I focus on analyzing Chinese-language sources and media. Recently, I've been working a lot on Hong Kong and Taiwan, two portfolios that have been very active in the past year.  How often do you use Chinese in your current position or other skills you gained while studying at the HNC?  I'm happy to say that I use Chinese every single day at work because languag...

Christian Burstall, HNC Certificate '17 + SAIS MA '18, links his success serving as a Foreign Service Officer in Chengdu to his Hopkins-Nanjing Center experience. Tell us a bit more about your career and your current role.   I'm a Foreign Service Officer, or diplomat. Exactly what that means is elusive, but a large part of my job is explaining the United States to the rest of the world and explaining the rest of the world to the United States. My most recent assignment was providing consular service in Chengdu. The majority of my time was spent interviewing visa customers. When the novel coronavirus pandemic broke out, I provided emergency services, including working with the Embassy to coordinate emergency flights for U.S. citizens stuck in Wuhan.  What got you interested in studying Chinese and what drew you to the HNC?  I studied French my first year of college and the professor made some offhand remark that competent French required about 600 hours of study, whil...

Engaging with media and entertainment in Mandarin is a fun and unique way to retain and strengthen your Chinese language skills. Student blogger Brandy Darling (HNC Cert ‘20 + SAIS MA ’21) connected with current student Hannah Sorenson (HNC MAIS ‘22) and HNC alumna Celine Yeap Shu Wan (HNC Certificate ‘20) to collect a sample of Chinese TV show recommendations to get you started. 幸福触手可及   (Love Designer / Love Advanced Customization) Recommender: Celine Yeap Shu Wan '20 Genre: Business, Romance  Where to Watch: YouTube Summary: The story of an aspiring fashion designer and an e-commerce start-up founder who were a mismatch from the start. Due to  incidences that end up making their lives and work heavily interdependent,  they are forced to cooperate. Conflicts are bound to happen with these two hard-headed individuals, but they slowly find themselves growing in each other’s strength.   What words/expressions have you learned from this show?   E-Commerc...