Bethany Allen Ebrahim

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Hopkins-Nanjing Center Certificate 2012, shares how her Hopkins-Nanjing Center experience helped further her career goals. Bethany is the current assistant editor of Foreign Policy magazine's China channel Tea Leaf Nation.

Tell us about your current role.
In my role as assistant editor of Foreign Policy magazine's China channel Tea Leaf Nation, I write timely coverage and analysis of news and major trends in China. I also provide on-air commentary for broadcast media such as CNN International, BBC's The World, and PRI, and I've spoken on panels at Georgetown University and Tufts University.

How did your experience at the HNC prepare you for this work?
I would not be where I am today if I hadn't studied at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. I must be able to swiftly skim and analyze Chinese-language media for an English-speaking audience; I must be able to conduct interviews in Chinese; and above all, I must understand the context for events and trends in China. The intensive language and culture immersion afforded me that skill set, giving me a distinct competitive edge.

Do you have any advice for current or future students at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center?
For those who want to make China a part of their long-term career but haven't yet mastered Chinese, there is no better choice than the HNC.