By DKU Staff
Duke Kunshan has received a record number of applications from international students for the Class of 2025, more than double the figure last year.
Just over 1,800 students from more than 100 countries around the world have applied to join the university’s fourth undergraduate class, up from about 900 applications last year, said Jessica Sandberg, dean of international enrollment management.
Most applicants are from the United States, while others come from countries including Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Ghana, India, Morocco, Russia, Peru, South Korea, Turkey and Vietnam.
‘We’re so pleased with this exceptional response considering the challenges students and schools worldwide faced in 2020,’ said Sandberg. ‘The applicants are all talented, accomplished students who have displayed a high level of dedication and resilience. Our admissions team has some tough decisions to make.’
International applicants will learn by mid-March whether they have been admitted into the incoming class to join students from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan next fall.
Duke Kunshan welcomed the first members of its Class of 2025 in December when it admitted 32 international students who made early decision applications, indicating that Duke Kunshan is their first choice and their commitment to enroll at the university if admitted. This year saw a 25 percent increase in early decision applications.
The incoming class represents a milestone in Duke Kunshan’s undergraduate program. Launched in 2018, the program has enrolled three classes and will eventually accommodate up to 2,000 students. International students currently account for one-fourth of the student body, representing over 50 countries across six continents.
To keep pace with the growth in student numbers, the university is also expanding its faculty and facilities. Some 110 professors, lecturers and instructors teach courses in the undergraduate program, including visiting professors from Duke University, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 7-to-1. The size of the faculty will increase to about 185 as the undergraduate program reaches capacity.
Meanwhile, phase-two construction of the campus is on track for completion in June 2022. Covering almost 47 acres, the expansion project includes advanced classrooms and labs, a sports complex, library facilities, a community center, and 713,300 square feet of green space.
Al Bloom, executive vice chancellor, said, ‘The strength of this year’s applicant pool is an encouraging endorsement of DKU’s distinct brand of liberal arts education, which provides students with not only the best resources and opportunities to explore their academic and professional interests but also the advanced skills and mindset they will need to connect across cultures and differences, foster inclusion and respect, and approach global issues in sustainable and ethical ways. I can’t wait to welcome the next cohort into this dynamic DKU community.’
Phase-two construction of the DKU campus is on track for completion in June 2022
