Ruihan Wan ’22 (back row, third from right) joins HIST 205 classmates on a field trip to Shanghai
Students in Duke Kunshan’s undergraduate degree program declare a major toward the end of their second year, providing them the time to explore a diverse range of interests. Ruihan Wan, C’22, from Beijing, China, explains his reasons for choosing U.S. studies (history track).
What major did you have in mind when you enrolled at DKU?
I originally planned to study environmental science (public policy track). I was very interested in geography at high school. I learned lots about environmental problems from geography class and was very concerned about this issue. I was determined to do something in the environmental field, so an environmental science major seemed the best and most direct choice.
What DKU courses do you feel have had the largest impact on you?
Lots of courses have had a huge impact on me. In the first session of fall 2018, I chose a political science course, American Ideas and the Idea of America, in which I learned about American thinking and ideology. I remember reading the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers, works by W.E.B. Du Bois and Frederick Douglass, and articles on the U.S.-China relationship. This was a fantastic experience for me, and I found myself interested in nearly every topic in the course. From then on, I’ve been interested in American culture, politics and history, which I’d like to explore more.
Shanghai: From Treaty Port to Global Metropolis was the first history course I took at DKU. I found the experience of reading journal articles, writing short responses and writing research papers extremely interesting. We also took a field trip to Shanghai and applied what we’d learned in class in the real world, and I interviewed a Shanghai native about his family’s story. All of this was memorable, and I gained great confidence and interest in learning history.
I also want to mention the two Chinese Society and Culture Courses ‘ Chinese Humanistic Spirit and Institution, and Social Changes in China. These courses, which are mandatory for Chinese students, are about Chinese philosophy and history. I enjoyed reading books and talking with professors and other students. These also made me want to major in arts and humanities.
When did you start considering alternative majors?
It was a gradual thing. Besides the courses I mentioned, my professors and academic advisors also were important in my decision. My academic advisor, history professor Zach Fredman, studies U.S.-China relations. He gave me a lot of encouragement and many constructive suggestions.
In fall 2018, there was a Humanities Majors and Careers Forum at the Water Pavilion, where I talked with Prof. Fredman about my interest in history. His kindness inspired me. I took his history class, which was a good experience, and a few months before I declared a major I talked to him about my intention to switch to a history major. Again, he encouraged me to choose what I was interested in. He told me that his parents wanted him to study law, but he insisted on his interest in history and became a professor. I was moved, as I had seldom received encouragement from teachers or my elders about my interest in arts and humanities.
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‘I can fulfill my dream of contributing to the ecological civilization by figuring out the relationship between humans and nature through history.’
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Especially in China, I feel there is some bias toward students who are interested in arts and humanities. Fewer students study liberal arts in high school. Arts and humanities are considered less useful than STEM, and there is discrimination toward boys interested in arts and humanities. In my high school, boys were encouraged to major in science, as liberal arts is ‘a major that girls are good at.’ Those who choose liberal arts are seen as untalented students who can’t do well in science. I found all these stereotypes unreasonable when I entered DKU, and I just wanted to overcome the bias and adhere to my interest in arts and humanities. So I really appreciated my advisor for supporting me on my journey to find my passions.
What were the main reasons behind your decision to major in U.S. studies?
First, I’m very interested in history, since about junior high. I learned some American history in secondary school using Chinese, but I’m curious about the feeling of using English to learn American history. I know that language is very important to history learning. So if I want to learn American history well, I had better read and write in English. I thought it would be a good experience to explore more about the American economy, politics, culture, history, ideology and foreign relations. I also can find research opportunities at the Humanities Research Center’s Freedom Lab.
Second, as I mentioned, I’m concerned about environmental issues. I used to believe that only science, technology and social science were suitable to do something with the environment. In the past two years, by reading, talking and learning, I’ve found that environmental science deals more with natural science and social science, which are important to have basic knowledge about the environment, but I may not be passionate about digging deeply. Also, I found that public policy is an applied subject related to public management. I’m more interested in learning the foundational subjects such as history, philosophy, literature, political science, etc.
The environment is a broad topic to which people from almost every subject and discipline could contribute. I learned of subjects called historical geography and environmental history, which deal with environmental issues from the geographical and humanities perspectives, and I started to see how I could also learn from the historic perspective. Environmental history is an interdisciplinary subject. I can fulfill my dream of contributing to the ecological civilization by figuring out the relationship between humans and nature through history.
Both historical geography and environmental history originated in the Western world, but these subjects have been emerging in China in recent years. After graduation, I plan to choose a graduate program in history or human geography in either the U.S. or the U.K.
What do you feel are the benefits of a liberal arts education?
It’s given me enough time to explore my passions. In the first two years, we can explore our interests by taking classes, participating in lectures, talking with professors, getting internships, self-learning, and so on. This reduces the risk of making a mistake compared with having to declare a major before we matriculate. We can declare a major we are passionate about and familiar with.
Thanks to the unique design of DKU’s curriculum, we can choose any course based on our own demands and interests. Chinese high schools divide students into science students or liberal arts students, which means we cannot explore beyond our major. But at DKU, the border between science students and liberal arts students disappears. We can take any course that interests us. It’s a great experience to study with a group of students with different majors, interests, and educational and cultural backgrounds.
DKU provides a free academic environment where we can show our talent. I feel lucky with my choice of university, as I think I’m a comprehensive student with broad academic experience. I have firm foundations in social science and humanities, and I can think from a science perspective.
Find out more about Duke Kunshan’s undergraduate degree program.
