Each semester HNC students elect four representatives to sit on the Class Committee. The Class Committee (also referred to by its name in Chinese, 班委 “Banwei”) meets with the Co-Directors and selected staff regularly and makes recommendations concerning student activities,  as well as academic and residential life, via feedback they receive from HNC classmates.The Class Committee is an organization that may represent student interests.

The Voting Process:

1. Each student falls under one of two categories: International Students, Chinese Students. Students who wish to run must compete against others within their own category that also wish to run.

2. You can only run for the position if nominated, either self-nominated or nominated by another student in which one may accept or deny that nomination.

3. Each student who is nominated and wishes to run gets up to two minutes to deliver a speech to their classmates in either Mandarin or English (some choose both!).

4. Majority votes through an anonymous participant survey grants you office as 班委.

5. Elections are held bi-annually at the start of each semester, and multiple terms are allowed.

Meet the Fall 2025 Banwei!

【International Banwei】

Name: Sara Murphy

Program: MAIR (Security, Strategy, and Statecraft)

Hometown: California, USA

1. Interests and Hobbies: My academic interests include international politics and social issues. Some of my hobbies are horseback riding, long distance running, travel, and reading classic literature!

2. Reason for choosing the HNC: I choose the HNC for an opportunity to study in China, as well as to develop friendships with an international cohort.

3. Goals: As banwei, my main goal is to create an inclusive and fun environment for all students!

Name: Laura Fulton

Program: Certificate (International Politics, Chinese Studies)

Hometown: Bovey Tracey, Devon, UK

1. Interests: Hiking, food, learning foreign languages!

2. My goal at HNC is to practice Chinese, learn about China from class, travel, and new friends.

3. Banwei goals: Help everyone enjoy each week at the HNC and encourage people to make new friends and practice their target languages

【Chinese Banwei】

Name: Chen Canming (Channing)

Program: MAIS (American Studies)

Hometown：Yiwu, Zhejiang Province

1. Interests and Hobbies: My academic interests include American history and political culture, Chinese government-enterprise relationship., etc. I like playing basketball,badminton, running; reading and watching TV series/movies.

2. Reason for choosing HNC: Having always been passionate about cross-cultural communication, I grasped the opportunity to apply for HNC’s master program when I got one. Hope to explore the possibilities for future career choices and enhance my competitiveness and overall quality here.

3. Goals: Expand the breakfast options and related facilities in the cafeteria; promote mutual understanding and cooperation among Chinese and foreign students in their studies and lives.

Name: Qu Pengchuan

Program: Certificate (International Economy, American Studies)

Hometown: Yulin, Shaanxi Province

1. Interests and Hobbies: My academic interests include ethics, social psychology, and discourse analysis. In my free time, I enjoy music, playing badminton, and swimming.

2. Reason for Choosing HNC: I am very interested in cross-cultural communication and passionate about the comparison between Chinese and American cultures. I hope to use HNC as a platform to meet more like-minded friends and to improve my academic skills and global perspective.

3. Goals during my term: I want to strengthen communication and understanding between Chinese and American students at HNC and help build a stronger community.

Sidelights