After years of administrator-driven discussion about Duke Kunshan University, students are voicing their opinions in a more organized setting.
This Spring, DKU administrators and the Office of Global Strategy and Programs have begun to consult students about developing student life at the new China campus. With help from student interest groups and committees, administrators hope that student life at DKU will be similar to Duke in Durham in terms of both academic freedom and campus culture, Provost Peter Lange said. These discussions and campus development are still in the early stages, so no definitive plans regarding student life have yet been made.
So far, administrators have reached out to both undergraduate and graduate students. The Kunshan campus will offer a Master of Management Studies in Finance through the Fuqua School of Business, though other potential academic programs are pending. Two undergraduate, non-degree programs through the Duke Global Health Institute are currently being reviewed.
“Most students are not well aware of what is going on in DKU and talking to [a] small group of people is a good first step in increasing exposure,” said Junyang Wang, assistant and student liaison to the Office of Global Strategy and Programs and Trinity ’11. “They will provide a link between the administration and the students.”
Wang said his office is ensuring that undergraduate students are involved in the development of DKU, but added that he is currently working on forming a committee of graduate students as well. A town hall meeting and a DKU general information session will be held for students later this month to raise awareness about the project, though a specific date has not been set.
Wang and several members of the Duke East Asia Nexus convened with Nora Bynum, associate vice provost for the Office of Global Strategy and Programs and managing director for DKU and China initiatives, in late February. In this meeting, Wang and Bynum discussed details about DKU’s campus, academic programs and numerous possibilities for student involvement. They also reviewed a presentation on DKU that Lange delivered to members of Duke Student Government Feb. 22.
Bynum could not be reached for comment.
Sophomore Helen Cai, a member of DEAN who attended the first meeting, said that this gathering, even though it was small, was a good first step toward involving more students in the development of DKU. DEAN is aimed at enriching the Duke community’s understanding of political, social and economic issues facing East Asia.
“Students are interested in knowing what’s happening, and we hope to have a strong voice in the discussions to come,” Cai said.
In addition to gathering student input, administrators will take into account faculty concerns about life at DKU and as it relates to the city of Kunshan.
Many faculty members and students have expressed concern that the social differences between China and the United States will hinder any academic strides, Jennifer Francis, senior associate dean for programs and Douglas and Josie Breeden professor at Fuqua, said in January.
Measures have been put in place to prevent and detect signs of any lack of intellectual freedom at DKU, Francis noted. Key administrators will be on campus and live with students in residence halls, allowing students to approach faculty whenever necessary.
“Students will have to work in a different climate than they are accustomed to, [but] the University will ensure that its core values will not be compromised,” Lange said.
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