Frank Tsai is a 2003 graduate of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and currently serves as the CEO and Founder of China Crossroads, the largest platform for public lectures in Shanghai. Over the past 14 years, he has organized over 600 talks on "China and the world" across several event brands, hosting academics, business leaders, and other experts.
What led you to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center? What made you choose the HNC?
I traveled to Taiwan a few years before applying to the HNC, and I was excited to speak Mandarin for the first time. That experience sparked my interest, and after that trip, my life became focused on studying Chinese. It made me shift gears in my PhD. At the time, I was doing my PhD in sociology when I first heard about the HNC. I wanted to transition to studying China, but I had no experience. For that reason, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center was a great way for me to experience China. Language programs were my other option, but the HNC was very attractive because I could improve my Mandarin while also gaining substantive knowledge of China. I knew that Johns Hopkins SAIS was a top ranked school in international relations, so I thought the HNC would be a program of good quality. How has your experience at the HNC influenced your career path?
My HNC network became very valuable to me after graduation. I got my first job from an info interview with an alum. I also became an alumni leader and ran the Hopkins-China forum in coordination with SAIS from 2010-2020, representing Hopkins in the forum. The experience helped me discover that I wanted to enter the events business, and I credit my experience there for how I started my own events company. When I ran Hopkins-China Forum, SAIS was involved in a more hands-off way, which was a good relationship to have. Over the years, I’ve had over 100 interns, and about a dozen have gone on to study at SAIS after being introduced to its programs through the forum.
You have extensive experience working in geopolitical risk consulting, having spent over eight years at Control Risks in Shanghai and one year at the Economist Intelligence Unit. What was your career path in this industry?
To give you some background, Control Risks is a global firm operating in most major markets and key developing regions. It’s one of the world’s largest specialist risk consultancies, known for consulting large MNCs on their political, security, and integrity risks (such as corruption and fraud). As for me, I was a philosophy nerd at Tufts; I was never an IR nerd until I came to China. When I was at Control Risks, I felt comfortable with that identity. I liked that Control Risks touched on current events and international relations.
A lot of the work at Control Risks was qualitative and included parsing statements of leaders and making judgments on what was important. For example, I worked on analyzing the “Made in China 2025” initiative when it was first proposed by Party leadership. I was attempting to understand what it was about, and if it was serious. The same process also occurred for the Belt and Road Initiative.
After working with Control Risks, I moved over to the Economist Intelligence Unit, and I helped run their corporate network. It is a high-end networking service, crafting high-quality events for senior business leaders. This was my attempt to try to exercise my passion for event organization in a corporate setting.
It helps to be here in China, but I don’t find it satisfying to review the same questions repeatedly. Actionable questions in business don’t always speak to much bigger issues that could be more valuable to U.S.-China relations and our understanding of China.
I left the consulting industry because I grew out of research. I had a network from the Hopkins-China Forum, and I wanted to use it for something. With my company, China Crossroads, people pay to listen to the experts coming to speak. The best thing about my job is having complete control of my life. I charge 150–200 RMB for the talks, and I have about 300 members who come for free with individual or corporate membership.
As CEO and Founder of China Crossroads—the largest platform for public lectures in Shanghai on “China and the world”—you engage with a wide range of topics and professionals from diverse political and cultural backgrounds. How have you navigated this challenge; especially as open discussion of politically sensitive issues becomes increasingly risky? Has your time at the HNC influenced your approach?
I am the largest organizer of public lectures in China. Our discussions touch on China business and international relations topics. We have about 4000 attendees per year, and about 20000 total so far. My non-business talks often involve current events, which can be seen as sensitive. These are public events, unlike those at a university or a business chamber, which are not considered “civil society” by the government. While the events are public, I run China Crossroads as a for-profit company registered in China, so I’m not a non-profit with any specific public mission.
The Chinese government does care about social unrest. Since the 2022 protests, there has been a downturn in US-China relations. They want to investigate all potential sources of instability, so I do have to stay within the bounds stipulated by the government. Their main concern is about the content on the flyer – so I make sure to word this carefully.
We should understand China as Leninist; the party’s greatest strength is its degree of control over Chinese society. When I talk about my experiences in China, I often ask: what is China and how do we understand this place? I believe the regime explains most of what China is. Culture is an easy explanation for Chineseness, but I think culture in China is used as an aspect of regime power.
Regarding my time at the HNC, I had lots of substantive discussions about China and politics with Chinese students there. These discussions were part of my longer career path.
Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to current or future HNC students about maximizing their experience at the HNC and launching their careers after SAIS?
I wanted to be a China academic at some point but decided it wasn’t for me—I hated that life. I got a job in market research in Beijing, and through the HNC network, connected with someone in Shanghai for an informational interview that led to a job at a small market consultancy. I started to understand the China market better, and when my boss was hired by Control Risks, he brought me over. It was a good time—I could ride the wave of a booming expat market in the early 2010s. I didn’t have a plan; I just took opportunities where I found them and followed what the market was saying.
It can be daunting to figure out what suits you or what kind of person you are, but the market has wisdom—keep trying things, take internships, and don’t be afraid of failure. It’s not over if you don’t like your job. I didn’t find my place until I was 40—the market sorted it out.
If you want to get into the geopolitical risk industry, it’s difficult now in Shanghai; the path may be more accessible abroad. Here, the chambers of commerce are one of the best ways in. Part of this is luck, and part is networking.
If you are interested in geopolitical risk consulting, particularly Control Risks, they maintain a clear distinction between research and government relations and choose not to engage in government relations. In China, foreigners have an advantage at smaller consultancies, where the money comes from foreigners working at foreign firms in China.
If you want to be in China, take risks—don’t get too anxious. Stay here, ask for help with funding (even your parents, if necessary!), and commit to six months. Use that time to network, do your research, and target a few companies. Think about what you want to do, but stay open — opportunities might not directly lead to your goal, yet they could surprise you. Liaise with people in your industry, but also outside of it. Be open to new experiences and opportunities. At senior levels, external experience and established networks become essential, and career progression into leadership can often require you to have experience beyond a single industry.
What I learned from China: ride the horse when it’s there. China has dynamic growth—take the opportunity. You can go from an English teacher to a boss at a geopolitical risk consultancy. I’m grateful I experienced the COVID lockdown — it gave me insight into how institutions operate. Real experience matters—you need to read and seek out experiences. Research is always the least sexy job, sales is always the best, and government relations gets you the connections.
The job game is a long game; bide your time—the future is long. Rebranding can happen multiple times, and a six-month gap is fine. I had anxiety about what my peers were doing, but five years meant nothing.
Finally, a PhD isn’t necessary for geopolitical risk consulting, but it won’t hurt — it’s a strong qualification, particularly in think tanks where it carries real credibility. Don’t pursue a PhD for the lifestyle or community — pursue it for the research itself. Plan for contingencies by engaging with both think tanks and universities. Whatever job you’re in, work hard, even if it’s not your dream role. Organizational culture matters—does the environment suit you? That’s important. We all have theories about ourselves, but without real work experience, we don’t have the data to know what we truly enjoy. Don’t be afraid to take an off-path job, like pet grooming!
*Interview conducted and written by Hannah Bases, MAIS '26
