DKU officially opens first campus building

More than a month after Duke Kunshan University began classes, the school is finaly opening a new set of doors—transitioning from its current headquarters at a nearby hotel to the physical campus.

Construction on DKU's six buildings has been ongoing since 2010, but the campus was not yet ready when classes began this August. After spending the first two months of school both living and attending class in a Kunshan hotel, students and faculty are now in the process of moving onto campus—with the school's Conference Center set to serve as residence space, classrooms and a library as construction continues on other buildings.

Faculty have begun moving their offices onto campus, and classes will transition from the hotel to the Conference Center after students finish taking exams this month, said Nora Bynum, vice provost for DKU and China affairs.

"Moving into the campus buildings has already started, with staff already in place and the rest of the move to be completed later this month," she wrote in an email Tuesday.

"In the short term, we need to find the best match between the interests of talented students and what DKU can offer." —Haiyan Gao

The Conference Center and Services Center will be the first two buildings cleared for move-in, with the Academic Center and two other buildings to be finished later this Fall.

Construction on the campus has faced several obstacles over the years—including lengthy delays, management issues and poor weather.

In May, Bynum told The Chronicle that the Conference Center would likely be the only building open when students arrived in August and would provide the school's classroom space, with students and faculty commuting from the hotel. But although overall building construction was complete, systems testing and "final touch-ups" had to be performed before classes could begin in the Center—meaning that the Swiss-managed Swissotel, an international chain with a Kunshan location, provided both housing and academic space for the school's opening months.

Bynum presented an update on DKU to the Arts and Sciences Council last week, noting both successes and challenges the school has experienced in its first weeks.

Included was an overview of Duke's financial participation in the campus. Duke contributed $4 million to DKU in its start-up phase, Bynum said at the Council meeting, and has invested an additional $12.9 million in facilities and related costs. For the 2015-16 fiscal year, Duke has budgeted $10.8 million.

The funding from Duke has come from central strategic funds, facilities reserves and gifts. Duke's undergraduate and graduate schools bear no direct cost for DKU, and all schools with DKU programs have a financial guarantee from the provost's office absolving them of any possible financial responsibility, Bynum said.

"Academic freedom is a perpetual concern in China." —Nora Bynum

Even with the campus just beginning its first phase, administrators are thinking of what will follow, Bynum noted. DKU's second phase will see the launch of an undergraduate degree program, and planning for a liberal arts experience in China presents a unique set of challenges.

Bynum is currently abroad with other members of Duke's Liberal Arts in China committee, touring universities in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing that have been developing liberal arts models.

The topic of academic freedom as it relates to the liberal arts in China was raised by faculty at the Arts and Science meeting, but Bynum said that no problems have arisen at DKU thus far.

"Academic freedom is a perpetual concern in China," Bynum said. "We haven't had any issues on campus, but we are certainly alert and we certainly spend time talking with other joint venture universities."

Bynum also announced the hiring of DKU's first vice-chancellor of academic affairs Thursday—Haiyan Gao, physics department chair and Henry Newsom professor of physics.

Gao, who is a Shanghai native and lived in Kunshan as a child, has served as chair of Duke's China Faculty Council in the past.

DKU has different resources than Duke and presents different challenges and opportunities, Gao said, but she expressed excitement for the chance to embark on something new and unique.

"Duke is a well-established and well-known university and has many programs for students to choose from. DKU is brand-new and currently has a few graduate degree programs and undergraduate global semester program only," Gao wrote in an email Monday. "As we are building up more graduate degree programs, and also developing undergraduate degree program for DKU phase 2, this situation will continue to improve. In the short term, we need to find the best match between the interests of talented students and what DKU can offer."

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