Celebrating the official launch of DKU

Presidents at DKU Ceremony

Published November 17, 2014, last updated on April 9, 2018 under Education News

On Monday, Duke Kunshan University (DKU) welcomed its founders, Duke University, Wuhan University, and Kunshan City, and distinguished guests to celebrate in the official launch of DKU. A formal ceremony dedicated this 750,000-square-foot campus which marries traditional Chinese architectural methods and modern technological design to create a setting where each building was specifically designed to fit the Kunshan climate. 

During the opening ceremony, Duke and Wuhan officials announced the formation of a joint research center, “WHU-DUKE Research Institute at DKU”. This purpose of this DKU-based research center is to engender collaboration between faculty and students from each university. Duke University Provost Sally Kornbluth and Wuhan Executive Vice President Feng Youmei unveiled a plaque marking the formation of the research center and the beginning of a robust and lost-lasting partnership between the two universities.

“As we think about the promise and potential of DKU, we hope that this campus lights the way toward a new model of global education- the best of American liberal arts education, united with the best of Chinese traditions of learning,” remarked Duke President Richard Brodhead. 

Jiangsu Province Vice Governor Cao Weixing noted that the cooperation between Duke and Wuhan universities to create DKU is an important element of the province’s efforts to internationalize its educational offerings.  This partnership will create an environment of innovative thinking where the strengths of both Duke and Wuhan can be leveraged. It was a common hope among the distinguished guests that DKU would become a world-renowned university offering an educational experience unmatched in its collaborative spirit. 

Minister Counselor for Public Affairs Thomas Hodges of the United States Embassy in Beijing remarked that the opening of the DKU campus is not only an auspicious occasion, but also represented a significant and enormously positive step in Chinese-U.S. educational relations. 

DKU welcomed its first students in August 2014. The university currently offers master’s degree programs global health through DGHI, management studies through the Fuqua School of Business, and medical physics. The DKU degrees will lead to Duke University degrees. The university encourages collaboration among undergraduate students through a semester program where the students can take classes at DKU while earning Duke University credit across several disciplines. 

“It seems fitting that Duke’s first broad-based joint campus outside the US offers a degree in global health among its first educational programs,” said DGHI Director Michael Merson. “It was inspiring to be at the launch of DKU and imagine the possibilities for collaboration and global impact.”

During the first two years, more than 50 Duke faculty members from a host of disciplines will teach at DKU. The dedication of these faculty members to establish a world-class educational experience will lay the foundation for DKU’s future. 

 

As we think about the promise and potential of DKU, we hope that this campus lights the way toward a new model of global education- the best of American liberal arts education, united with the best of Chinese traditions of learning.

Richard Brodhead, Duke President

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