NanDa & HNC


Nanjing University

I routinely walk through the main part of Nanjing University’s (Nanjing Daxue, or NanDa’s) downtown campus on my way between HNC (located on one end of campus) and….. yes, you’ve probably already guessed: the nearest Starbucks. On my way, I pass by the iconic Nanjing University campus building, surrounded now with a background of urban towers (the one on the right, Zifeng Tower, is currently the 7th tallest building in the world). It’s a beautiful campus, in a beautiful city. I hadn’t realized that Nanjing was once the world’s largest city (in the late 1300s), hosting a population of almost half a million persons. Its city wall is the most ancient one still standing today, anywhere in the world. It’s also quite beautiful, as I found out on an HNC alumni weekend in early November, on a ‘wall walk’ with both current students and alumni.


On Nanjing Wall


Roger & Prof. Liu

 

I also had a chance later in the month to see Nanda’s new campus in Xianlin, a 40 minute metro ride to the other side of Purple Mountain. I was invited to give a presentation by Professor Liu Beibei, a professor in the School of Environment located there. She also teaches environmental policy at HNC (as does her husband, Professor Bu Maoliang, an environmental economist). You can see Prof. Liu in the nearby picture, and I happen to be looking over both of her shoulders – in person, and from the poster announcing my talk.