Julien Deslangles
Certificate 2009 (combined with SAIS M.A., December 2009)
Hometown
"I was born in France, but grew up in Togo, Africa, where I spent almost five years with my family before going back to France. Although my family now lives in the south of France, I have been abroad for the past eight years, living mainly in Canada, Singapore, China, Washington DC, and all over Southeast Asia." Previous Education
HEC Montréal
B.A., Business Administration, International Business and International Management, 2006 Previous Work Experience
Department of International Business, HEC Montréal, teaching assistant and research assistant Center Activities
Attending the free weekly conferences, talks and discussion panels offered by the Center
Favorite Course/Professor
"Anthropology and Chinese Studies," Professor Fan Ke
"Social Issues of China's Modernization," Professor Hua Tao Career/Study Post-Center
"Upon graduation, I am considering getting a few years of experience in international finance and investment banking, possibly in Hong Kong or Singapore, after which I would like to join an international organization such as the IMF, the World Bank, the ADB or the UN. Ultimately, I intend to work in diplomacy and international relations for the French government, while maintaining a strong focus on Asia and China."
Why did you choose to attend the Center?
"When applying to different M.A. programs, I placed SAIS on top of my list, because their five-semester M.A. program, which includes this one-year certificate in Nanjing, seemed to be tailored for my needs. I wanted to benefit from a high-quality education while having the possibility to discover and develop further my knowledge of the Chinese language and culture. Spending a year in China; living alongside Chinese and International students with common passions and interests; attending classes covering economic, political and social topics in Chinese; and having access to this unique combination of a vast array of resources and very accessible staff members, professionals and alumni -- it all proved to be the great experience and the invaluable opportunity I was looking for."
How would you sum up your experience at the Center?
"Both socially and academically, I am really satisfied with my experience at the Center. I lived with and became close to a lot of brilliant and fascinating people, Chinese and International alike, all from very different academic and professional backgrounds, and this made for a very enriching and stimulating environment. Some classes turned out to be more challenging than some others, but I really feel the difficulty was progressive and adapted to the students’ language skills. My reading, writing and listening skills improved tremendously, too."
Yasuyuki Goto
Certificate 2009
Hometown
Tokyo, Japan Previous Education
Brown University
B.A., International Relations, 2008 Previous Work Experience
Deutsche Bank, summer intern; MyArtPlot.com co-founder Center Activities
Translator for an American company in Nanjing; participant in the bi-annual Graduate Student Forum with Fudan University Favorite Course/Professor
"Chinese Government and Politics," Professor Lu Xiaobo Career/Study Post-Center
Two internships: one in investment banking, the other in consulting; may pursue a Ph.D in the States or Europe in Chinese history or in China or East Asia in international relations Why did you choose to attend the Center?
"I wanted to absorb a lot of different aspects of China by living with a Chinese roommate in China and be able to discuss more sensitive topics in politics and history [with him]."
How would you sum up your experience at the Center?
"Although it was somewhat difficult to adjust at first, I became more comfortable after awhile. There are a lot of resources available here, which I appreciate a lot."
Jeneil Bamberg
Certificate 2009
Hometown
Williamsburg, MI
Previous Education
Kalamazoo College
B.A., International and East Asian Studies, 2007
Previous Work Experience
Nolita YMCA in Beijing summer intern, assisted American fitness and English teachers in coordinating with the YMCA administration; Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center summer intern
Center Activities
"Banwei" student representative; yoga and belly dancing classes; working out at a local gym
Favorite Course/Professor
"International Political Economics," Professor Shu Jianzhong
Career/Study Post-Center
"I am seeking to move to New York City. I am excited to move back home to be closer to friends and family, yet I know that I will miss China a great, great deal and am hoping to secure work where I can use my Chinese language skills as auxiliary skills on the job."
Why did you choose to attend the Center?
"When I started thinking about coming to the Center years ago, the networking was a peripheral reason for attending, but it has definitely become one of the most important."
How would you sum up your experience at the Center?
"I think the Chinese language experience that I have gained at the Center as well as the Hopkins Nanjing name on my resume will go far in helping me to this end, thereby fulfilling my goals in attending the Center. I also know that I will have a wonderful network of friends and contacts gained through association with the Center, which for many people, including myself, is one of the most important aspects of doing this program. I am also proud to say that I have been able to spend a year doing all of my coursework entirely in Chinese and really pushing my Chinese skills to the next level."
Christopher Liu
Certificate 2009
Hometown
New Jersey
Previous Education
Peking University
B.A., International Politics, 2007
Previous Work Experience
Reuters - China intern for one year during university, covered stories such as the "Six-Party Talks" and AIDS villages in Hebei; upon graduation, co-founded and managed sales for an import-export company called Inknology in Beijing for 18 months
Center Activities
Basketball team; volleyball team; 3rd place in table tennis tournament; poker table regular
Favorite Course/Professor
"Comparative Sino-American Legal Cultures," Professor Feng Chuan
Career/Study Post-Center
Sales, advertising, marketing, education; possibly a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS in International Economics and Korean Studies
Why did you choose to attend the Center?
"My professor at Peking University mentioned that the Hopkins-Nanjing Center has developed an elite group of Chinese that understand America and an elite group of Americans that understand China. I wished to be part of this elite group."
How would you sum up your experience at the Center?
"I went to an international high school in Hong Kong and attended university in Beijing as an overseas student. However, it was at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center where I discovered the most genuine blend of America and China, especially in regards to academics, culture, and lifestyle. At the Center, Chinese and Americans study, eat, and live together, exposing the minute differences and similarities in their ways of thinking, lifestyles, and approach to life. Reading a library of China-related books could not substitute for a year spent at the Center."
Alexandra Bloom
Certificate 2009 (combined with SAIS M.A., December 2009)
Hometown
Northampton, MA
Previous Education
Amherst College
B.A., Political Science, 2004
Previous Work Experience
U.S. Government Accountability Office intern; World Resources Institute intern; National Endowment for Democracy research associate
Center Activities
Kung Fu lessons; erhu lessons; dragon boat team; environmental study group; writer, illustrator, translator for Nanjing's MAP magazine
Favorite Course/Professor
"Chinese Government and Politics," Professor Lu Xiaobo
"Ethnic Minorities in Chinese Society," Professor Hua Tao
Career/Study Post-Center
"I hope to contribute to formulating US foreign policy, especially with respect to Asia. I am therefore interested in a variety of U.S. government agencies, such as the Foreign Service or State Department. I would also be interested in facilitating US-China environmental and sustainable development cooperation."
Why did you choose to attend the Center?
"I am an M.A. student concentrating in China Studies at SAIS, so studying at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center to improve my Chinese language and cultural understanding made sense and was practical. I spoke with former HNC students and heard that Nanjing as a cozier, smaller, greener city than Shanghai and Beijing, which is what I wanted and found (I'm not a big-city person). Nanjing is a city filled with international and Chinese students, so it still has a cosmopolitan feel. The Center's policy of having most international students share a room with a Chinese student appealed to me; indeed, my roommate was a sounding board, a casual language partner, an editor/editee when necessary, and she really completed the immersion experience for me."
How would you sum up your experience at the Center?
"When I arrived, the biggest academic challenge was reading Chinese course materials: my reading was extremely slow when I came, and it's better now. I know more political vocabulary and read at a more reasonable pace. My writing ability in Chinese was extremely elementary, but it improved, largely as a result of closely watching Center friends edit my work. Socially, I am very happy with the Center environment: I made a conscious effort to interact with Chinese students, not only international students, and as a result I not only made new friends but also feel I learned a lot about the culture of friendship in China. I like to be physically active and try new things, and there plenty of opportunities to do that both inside and outside the Center."
Aaron Cantrell
HNC M.A. 2009
Hometown
Indianapolis, IN
Previous Education
Indiana University
B.S., Mathematics; B.A., East Asian Languages and French, 2007
Previous Work Experience
Minsheng Bank, Beijing; Chang An Grand Theater, Beijing; Beijing Artistic and Cultural Recordings Publishing House; October Pictures Ltd., Beijing
Center Activities
Volunteer at Mingguang School for Migrant Children; "6am" Running Club; dragon boat team; writer for SAIS student newspaper, The SAIS Observer
Favorite Course/Professor
"The Chinese Judicial System and Its Reform," Professor Feng Chuan
Thesis Focus
The economic analysis of law and the influence of its practitioners in the Chinese legal reform process Career/Study Post-Center
Law school, Chinese legal reform
How would you sum up your experience at the Center?
"What I love most about the Center is that each student comes with his or her own distinct perspective on China, the U.S., and China-U.S. relations. Some students have focused on cultural knowledge, others have developed a business perspective, and still others have primarily studied politics or history. The close-knit nature of the student community brings these perspectives into the public arena, allowing students to gain from each other's experience and knowledge."
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