SAIS has named Jan Kiely the new American co-director of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies.

Based in Nanjing, Kiely is responsible for the management of the center’s affairs with the Chinese co-director, as well as the administration of the newly established master’s program—the first Sino-U.S. M.A. degree accredited in both countries. He also serves as an associate professor at the center, where he will teach courses about the history of U.S.-Chinese social and cultural interaction.

“I have long admired the center from afar,” said Kiely. “To me, it is the most signifi cant educational institution to the relationship between China and the United States. I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the next stage in the center’s ongoing mission to deepen understanding between China and the United States through joint intellectual endeavor.”

Prior to joining the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in September, Kiely most recently served as director of the Furman in China Programs and associate professor of history and Asian studies at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

“The rapidly changing world of advanced education and education technologies, the proliferation of potential international and domestic competitors and globalizing trends present many challenges,” Kiely said. “I am committed to working closely with my Chinese and American colleagues to manage the institution well and to make concerted efforts, step by step, to strengthen the academic program and intellectual climate.”

Kiely’s experiences in China began as a visiting student at Chengdu Middle School Number Seven in 1982. He went on to teach at Central China Normal University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanjing University and Harvard University and has directed study abroad programs at several Chinese universities. A former Yale-China Fellow, Kiely currently is a National Committee on United States-China Relations Public Intellectuals Program Fellow.

A native of Cambridge, Mass., Kiely received his B.A. in East Asian studies from Yale University, an M.A. in Asian history from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Ph.D. in Chinese history from the University of California, Berkeley.