On the afternoon of June 20, 2026, Nanjing University and Johns Hopkins University signed a cooperation agreement in Nanjing for a new English-language academic program (ELP) at the Hopkins–Nanjing Center (HNC). The agreement was signed on behalf of the two universities by Tan Zhemin, President of Nanjing University and Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ronald J. Daniels, President of Johns Hopkins University.

The signing took place as the HNC, jointly established by the two universities, marked its 40th anniversary. On the same day, President Daniels led a delegation on a visit to Nanjing University, where President Tan met with the delegation at the university’s Gulou Campus. The two sides reviewed nearly half a century of friendly cooperation and held in-depth discussions on the implementation of the new program, faculty commitments, and plans for future collaboration.

Presidents Tan Zhemin of Nanjing University and Ronald J. Daniels of Johns Hopkins University sign the agreement

The ELP is a new expansion of the successful 40-year partnership between the two universities. It aims to strengthen faculty and teaching resources, enhance the educational environment, and expand the impact of their collaboration. Without affecting existing programs, the new initiative will further enhance the HNC’s internationalization and the efficiency of resource utilization, while enriching the diversity of its student body and academic environment.

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The meeting between the two universities

President Tan noted that Nanjing University and Johns Hopkins University had maintained a friendly partnership for nearly half a century. From the pioneering vision of Presidents Kuang Yaming and Steven Müller, who opened new paths for cooperation in higher education between China and the United States, to the implementation of the ninth five-year cooperation agreement, the two universities have consistently supported one another and worked side by side. Together, they have established the HNC as a model of Sino-foreign cooperation in education and built a solid bridge for people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States.

Looking ahead from this new starting point in the HNC’s development, President Tan expressed his hope that the two universities would continue to deepen their partnership and explore further opportunities for cooperation in talent development, academic research, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and other fields. He also expressed the hope that their continued collaboration would contribute to deeper educational exchanges between China and the United States, the development of both countries, and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

President Daniels stated that the HNC’s remarkable achievements over the past 40 years had given him great confidence in the continuation of the partnership between the two universities. He noted that the international environment had undergone profound changes in recent years, presenting new complexities for educational exchanges between China and the United States. Nevertheless, both universities had remained committed to advancing their cooperation steadily. He expressed confidence that the HNC would continue to grow stronger on the basis of the solid mutual trust established between the two institutions.

James B. Steinberg, Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), noted that two international professors would soon join the HNC. With the implementation of the ELP, he said, academic exchanges and integration among the three locations—Nanjing in China, Washington, D.C., in the United States, and Bologna in Italy—would deepen further.