HNC Commencement 2026
June 19, 2026
On June 19, 2026, the Johns Hopkins University–Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies (hereinafter the “Hopkins-Nanjing Center” or “HNC”) held the commencement ceremony for its 40th Certificate Program and 19th M.A. Program in the center’s West Auditorium. A total of 101 students from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Germany, and other countries received diplomas and certificates jointly conferred by Nanjing University and Johns Hopkins University. The ceremony was co-hosted by HNC Chinese Co-Director Li Xiaorong and American Co-Director Adam K. Webb.
Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels and Nanjing University President Tan Zhemin attended the ceremony and delivered remarks. Dr. John Lipsky, former First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and chair of the Hopkins-Nanjing Council, and Yang Zhong, former Nanjing University Vice President, delivered keynote speeches.
Also in attendance were James B. Steinberg, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); Nanjing University Vice President Chen Yunsong; Dr. Jill McGovern, member of the Johns Hopkins-HNC Board of Directors and wife of Steven Muller, former president of Johns Hopkins University; representatives from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China; leaders from the Foreign Affairs Office’s Division for the Americas and Oceania; the Nanjing Municipal Immigration Bureau; representatives from Nanjing University’s affiliated schools and departments; Chinese members of the HNC Joint Academic Committee (JAC); and HNC faculty members.
Remarks by Ronald J. Daniels
President Daniels extended heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2026. He noted that the world today faces multiple challenges, including the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, escalating climate change, and a constantly shifting global landscape, making international cooperation more important than ever.
Against this backdrop, he said, the HNC has remained committed for 40 years to open dialogue and cross-cultural learning, creating opportunities for young people from around the world to connect, study, and work together. He emphasized that the center’s unique value lies not only in helping students master a target language and cultural knowledge, but also in encouraging them to step beyond the limits of their own assumptions and experience, deepen understanding, bridge differences, and build lasting friendships across lines of difference.
From classroom discussions to field research, from daily interactions to cultural exchange, HNC students learn how to collaborate with peers from different cultural backgrounds and perspectives to address complex issues. Daniels said enduring bonds between individuals and between nations are built on mutual understanding, equal dialogue, and respect for differences. He encouraged the graduates to carry that spirit into the future—to face the world with openness and inclusiveness, broaden their horizons through exchange, deepen understanding through dialogue, and advance together through cooperation.
Remarks by Tan Zhemin
Tan Zhemin congratulated the graduates and expressed sincere gratitude to the HNC faculty and staff, as well as to the students’ families in China and abroad. He noted that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the HNC, the 150th anniversary of Johns Hopkins University, and the 120th birthday of former Nanjing University president Kuang Yaming, making the occasion especially meaningful.
In 1979, Kuang Yaming and Steven Muller, with vision and courage, took the lead in opening a new chapter in U.S.-China higher education cooperation. “Seeking common ground while respecting differences, and appreciating beauty in diversity” has been a key source of the center’s success over the past 40 years, and also an important path for the steady progress of U.S.-China relations.
Tan offered the graduates three hopes: first, to be inclusive and embrace diversity, becoming bridges for mutual learning among civilizations and active practitioners of U.S.-China friendship and cultural integration; second, to keep pace with the times while preserving core principles and innovating, maintaining a passion for learning and building interdisciplinary capabilities to meet the demands of a changing era; and third, to keep the world in mind and take on responsibility, building bridges of cooperation with youthful energy and conveying goodwill through concrete actions to promote positive U.S.-China interaction and inclusive global development.
He stressed that the center’s “four crossings” — across language, culture, disciplines, and national borders — have always given students the confidence to pursue their dreams and move toward the future. Tan concluded by telling the graduates: “No matter how far you travel, Nanjing University will always be your spiritual home, and the HNC will always be your warm harbor.”
Keynote by Dr. John Lipsky
Dr. Lipsky reflected on international cooperation and global development through the lens of his own career. He said his four-decade professional journey had coincided with China’s integration into the global economy and major changes in U.S.-China relations and international cooperation.
He pointed out that over the past several decades, the rules-based international economic order has driven global growth and created broad opportunities for development. Given today’s complex and volatile international environment, he said, strengthening international understanding and cooperation is more important than ever.
Against this backdrop, Lipsky emphasized the mission of the HNC. In his view, the center’s greatest value lies in cultivating international talent who can understand other cultures and work with people from diverse backgrounds. He closed by encouraging graduates to remain open and inclusive in an uncertain world, actively promote understanding and exchange among nations and cultures, and contribute to international cooperation and shared development.
Keynote by Yang Zhong
Former Nanjing University Vice President Yang Zhong said that this year’s graduates are entering a world marked by profound changes in the global landscape, evolving U.S.-China relations, and an accelerating technological revolution. In such a moment, young people must confront important questions: should the world move toward openness and cooperation, or toward closure and confrontation? Should technology be used for good, or to build barriers?
He noted that the deepest and most lasting foundation of U.S.-China relations is the understanding, friendship, and exchange between the two peoples. Whatever careers the graduates pursue in the future, every sincere conversation, every collaborative research project, and every cross-cultural exchange can help deepen understanding and communication between civilizations.
Turning to current trends in technological change, Yang offered three reflections: first, technology should serve the good of humanity and social progress; second, openness and cooperation, along with exchange and mutual learning, remain essential drivers of scientific and technological advancement; and third, there should be a stronger effort to cultivate high-level scientific and technological talent to better serve the shared future of humankind.
He encouraged the graduates to preserve a lifelong thirst for knowledge, a broad and inclusive spirit, and a kind heart—meeting the world with goodwill and responding to the times with a sense of responsibility.
Opening Remarks by Li Xiaorong
HNC Chinese Co-Director Li Xiaorong delivered the opening remarks and congratulated the soon-to-be graduates. Referring to a question often raised by students—“What makes the center so special?”—she said that what makes the HNC unique is the way young people from different cultural backgrounds build lifelong friendships through daily life together and through the collision and blending of language and culture.
Forty years of accumulated experience have shaped the center’s tradition of openness, inclusiveness, understanding, and responsibility, giving students the ability to bridge divides and deepen mutual understanding. At the center, students gain not only academic knowledge but also the wisdom to remain clear-minded and kind in a complex world, and to live out the multifaceted, warm, and promising reality of U.S.-China relations.
In today’s uncertain world, she said, there is an even greater need for communicators and builders who “understand China and understand the world.”
Drawing on the meaning of “HNC,” Li offered three wishes to the graduates:
- H stands for Horizon — may they always look toward the distance, reach for the stars, pursue their dreams across the wider world, and strive for excellence.
- N stands for Navigation — may they move forward steadily and calmly in a complex and ever-changing world.
- C stands for Community— no matter how the years change, the HNC will always be home for everyone who belongs to it.
She welcomed students, faculty, and alumni to attend the center’s 40th anniversary celebration and to witness the HNC embark on its next forty years from a new starting point.
Closing Remarks by Adam K. Webb
HNC American Co-Director Adam K. Webb delivered the closing remarks. He reflected on the graduates’ learning and life experiences at the HNC and praised their resilience and growth amid academic pressure and changing circumstances.
He said that while the current international political and economic environment is complex and unpredictable, as are personal and career paths, what moved him most was always the students’ grounded approach to study, their sincere passion for learning, and their efforts to explore the world and broaden their horizons both inside and outside the classroom.
Whether carefully polishing a thesis or stepping beyond campus to learn about different societies and cultures, he said, these genuine acts of inquiry and reflection are the most precious part of the HNC’s spirit. Webb shared that when he first arrived at the center 18 years ago, he was deeply inspired by this atmosphere of openness, curiosity, and mutual learning.
Students learn to understand the world from different perspectives, break through fixed assumptions, and deepen understanding through exchange and encounter—an ethos that continues to shape generation after generation of alumni.
Looking ahead to a future full of change and challenges, he encouraged graduates to pursue their ideals with courage while still cherishing life’s beauty and curiosity, and to grow into people with rich inner lives and independent character. He concluded by offering his sincere blessings to the graduates and expressed hope that they would continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead, and that everyone would gather again to celebrate the HNC’s 40th anniversary.
Degree Conferral and Awards
Presidents Daniels and Tan jointly presented diplomas and certificates to the graduates. Wang Xiaolei, dean of Nanjing University’s Graduate School, announced the winners of the Outstanding Thesis Award, and Chen Yunsong and James B. Steinberg presented the awards.
Graduate Speeches
Li Yanshu, a Chinese student, and Hannah Bases, an international student, delivered speeches on behalf of the graduating class in the target language. The two graduates shared reflections on their growth and learning during their time at the center, and spoke about their hopes of serving as bridges for communication between Chinese and American cultures.
Celebration
After the ceremony, the graduates gathered at a commencement banquet with family, friends, and professors to share in the joy and witness this meaningful milestone together.
