The Hopkins-Nanjing Centre in Nanjing will launch a new master's programme in International Studies in 2006 that will require even international students to complete the bulk of their course work in Putonghua
Robert Daly, American director of the programme, said it would be the first fully accredited joint academic venture of its kind between leading US and mainland universities.
Students will take 16 courses during the two-year programme, and a minimum of 10 courses, plus the thesis and an oral defence must be in the student's target language, a key element of the course.
'There's a certain value in studying China in Chinese, with Chinese, and as the Chinese study it,' said Mr Daly, a former US Foreign Service officer.
He said there were few people in the US skilled enough in Chinese to use the language at a professional level in the way many Chinese were able to use English and the new master's programme would give foreign students 'a huge leg up' in their language proficiency.
