From November 5 to 10, 2023, Wang Zhenlin, Vice President of Nanjing University, led a delegation to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and New York City, which included visits to Johns Hopkins University, the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and the United Nations Headquarters. The delegation engaged in academic exchange with local scholars, visited old friends of the University, held an alumnus gathering to expand the school’s educational exchange and cooperation in the United States.

On November 6, Wang and his delegation met SAIS Dean Jim Steinberg. Both parties stated that they will jointly promote integration between the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and SAIS Washington and European campuses, strengthen cooperation and collaborative interdisciplinary research, and improve the influence and academic reach of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center.

On the morning of November 7, Wang and his delegation had in-depth exchanges with Ronald Daniels and Ray Jayawardhana, President and Provost of Johns Hopkins University, respectively. President Daniels spoke highly of the long-term partnership between Nanjing University and Johns Hopkins University, and introduced Johns Hopkins University’s new developments, strategies, and key research areas. Both parties hope to carry out joint interdisciplinary research, expand areas of inter-university cooperation, and promote exchange between teachers and students from both institutions.

Nanjing University Professor Hong Yinxing gave two academic lectures, at SAIS and in New York, speaking on “China’s modernization and its path to opening up,” sharing Nanjing University’s academic achievements, and conveying Chinese perspectives on state governance. Both events were warmly received.

The delegation also attended alumni exchange activities in Washington and New York.

The delegation met with Zhang Yun (Educational Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.), Jill McGovern (member of the Hopkins-Nanjing Council, and widow of HNC co-founder President Muller), and John Lipsky (former acting managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and chair of the Hopkins-Nanjing Council) among others.

At the forefront of mainland universities visiting the United States after the epidemic, the Nanjing University delegation’s visit strengthened the University’s close partnership with other world-class universities and re-connected alumni. It was an ice-breaking and heart-warming trip.

Hong Yinxing, former Party Secretary of Nanjing University and senior professor of humanities and social sciences, as well as representatives from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and Business School accompanied the visit.