The Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

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One School, One Vision, Three Continents

David M. Lampton
Director of the China Studies Program and Dean of Faculty
The Johns Hopkins University
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

SAIS attracts the best and brightest applicants, eager to acquire the training to confront the world's most demanding challenges. Our graduates are recognized for their abilities in economics, diplomacy, and languages-and their capacity to apply theory to real-world problems.

To understand SAIS, a good place to begin is our logo. With campuses in Washington, DC, Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China, SAIS is the only global institution of its kind. Students have the unique advantage of experiencing our three strategically located centers.

How does the synergy that results from being a truly international graduate school enhance the SAIS education?

A recent China studies program trip is a prime example: We arranged for seventeen students to travel to China to examine water issues. The group's diversity was part of the learning experience. There were Americans, Asians, and Europeans, mirroring our three locations-one student had a technical background, another had been a reporter for Chinese television, and others had worked for government agencies.

The politics of water provides a window on the complexity of governance in a country with 20 percent of the world's population and a severe clean water shortage.

As an assistant professor nearly thirty years ago, I lived in Wuhan on the central reaches of the Yangtze River, where I studied water management. By looking at a problem that affected all Chinese, as water does, I could begin to understand the political system, regulatory process, and rationale for building large-scale multiuse projects such as the Three Gorges Dam.

In planning the student trip, I thought we should return to the places I had visited in 1982, so I could give a perspective on what had changed. Using that foundation, students conducted interviews with officials for insight into how the Chinese are now making decisions.

There were two key takeaways from the trip: Students learned firsthand that there are no easily solved problems in China, and these issues become more understandable when you are on the ground. Regional studies places people in the "mental shoes" of the other society. While it may be inexplicable in the West that China is building large dams as we are tearing them down, China is still a coal-based nation with significant flooding problems addressed one hundred years ago elsewhere.

With the growing importance of graduate degrees in international relations, how is SAIS preparing future leaders?

In this globalized environment, employers in every sector are seeking what SAIS provides.

First, the study of economics is a core aspect of the SAIS education. For example, China is about economic growth and development. Having a sophisticated understanding of the discipline most germane to China's endeavors places you at a huge advantage.

Second, SAIS emphasizes language literacy. Language is not just a tool-it is an avenue into the mindset of other people.

And third, students gain essential grounding in policy-relevant theory, critical for leaders who must analyze enormous volumes of pertinent information in a timely fashion.

Overall, our graduates develop a skill set that makes them invaluable to their organizations-possessing the intellectual capital to adapt in a rapidly changing world.

The Johns Hopkins University
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
www.sais-jhu.edu
Email this school
(202) 662-5700

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