Hopkins-Nanjing Center Blog

You've seen our "HNC Word of the Week" series on Instagram , now see these words used in a sentence!  This vocabulary list provided by current Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) students includes frequently used terms and definitions in courses at the HNC. To add to your understanding, our students have also included a brief sentence for each term. Stay tuned for more HNC course vocabulary lists! 改革开放 gǎigékāifàng to reform and open to the outside world; Refers to China's economic reforms initiated in the late 1970's by Deng Xiaoping 改革开放 以后, 中国的 经济经历了快速的发展 。 和平崛起 hépíng juéqǐ peaceful rise; refers to the theory proposed in 2003 by advisers of President Hu Jintao that China's rise to political and economic prominence will be peaceful--unlike that of ascending world powers in the past 为避免发生像过去那样的大国冲突, 胡锦涛主席指 出 和平崛起 道路。 软实力 ruǎnshílì soft power ...

Student blogger Will Putzier (Certificate '20 + Johns Hopkin SAIS MA '21) shares pictures and experiences of his travels throughout India during the HNC Winter Break over the Chinese New Year holiday. I was fortunate enough to travel to India with an American friend before the spread of the virus accelerated outside of China. As another massive country undergoing tremendous change, it was a thrilling and eye-opening trip. Our travels were broadly split between the north (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) and the south (Kochi, Munnar, Goa, Mumbai). India’s cultural and natural diversity was astonishing. I was captivated by the Mughal architecture of northern India. Humayun’s Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, and the Tomb of I’timad-ud-Daulah were some of my favorites. The Taj Mahal is rare among world famous sites in that it still manages to exceed expectations. The grandeur of the mausoleum was moving. Besides the sights, I loved the food and watching people on the streets. Dawn at Humayun...

Cady Deck, HNC Certificate '19 + SAIS MA '20, talks about her Fall 2019 transition to life in Washington, DC. Transitioning to DC was probably easier for me than most because I went to college a few blocks away, but the adjustment from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center back to DC was still significant.  The most immediate challenge was finding housing. At the HNC, we had dorm-style living, but in DC all students live off campus. My friends and I really liked the community aspect at the HNC and wanted to maintain that in DC. We decided we should look for a house together in DC close to campus. Originally there were only three of us, but the number slowly expanded to seven. Looking for a house that can accommodate seven people is, unsurprisingly, a bit difficult. We found a nice house one metro stop away and spent the first month or so searching for and collecting secondhand furniture and appliances. We are now fully stocked! The transition to DC life and classes at SAIS was a lo...