Jan 11 to 15, Duke Kunshan University leaders joined Richard H. Brodhead, President of Duke University, on a week-long visit to China where they met with senior Chinese government officials and academic leaders in various fields. The purpose of the visit was to highlight Duke’s strong commitment to having a strategic presence in China, and to raise the image and visibility of Duke and Duke Kunshan among China’s central and provincial government leaders. As a result, Duke University and Duke Kunshan University have reached agreements with multiple Chinese ministries and governmental agencies on joining efforts in scientific research and talent development. Chancellor Liu Jingnan, Executive Vice Chancellor Denis Simon and Vice Chancellor Chang Xiaolin accompanied Brodhead in all the meetings.
Jan 11, Brodhead and the Duke Kunshan chancellors met with Bai Chunli, president of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yang Wei, president of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Brodhead introduced to them the program offerings, research focus, admissions and international research projects at Duke Kunshan University, a newly founded joint-venture university between Duke University, Wuhan University and the city of Kunshan in Jiangsu province. Bai expressed the hope that as a long-time partner of Duke University in scientific research, the Chinese Academy of Sciences should have more substantial cooperation in research and talent development with Duke. The two sides then had an in-depth exchange of views on establishing a strategic partnership between Duke Kunshan University and the Chinese Academy of Science. Yang briefed Brodhead on the international cooperation projects of NSFC, and discussed with Brodhead possible opportunities of collaboration in global health, environmental sciences, life sciences and other fields. President Yang also indicated a strong interest in working with EVC Denis Simon on a potential conference dealing with the new developments regarding S&T policy and innovation issues.
Visiting Chinese Academy of Sciences
Visiting National Natural Science Foundation of China??
January 12, they visited the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), where they met with Li Wei, President of DRC, Cheng Guoqiang, Director General of Department of International Cooperation of DRC and Ge Yanfeng, Director General of Research Department of Social Development of DRC. President Brodhead gave them a detailed introduction to Duke Kunshan University’s research projects and academic programs in health policy, medical science and environmental science. Both sides expressed the intention to deepen their existing cooperation, and exchanged views on establishing a long-term cooperative mechanism for growth scholarly exchanges and forging a shared research agenda in global health and environment policy.
Visiting Development Research Center of the State Council??
January 13, Brodhead and Duke Kunshan chancellors visited the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. In meeting with Vice Minister of Education Hao Ping, President Brodhead gratefully acknowledged the Ministry of Education’s guidance and support for Duke Kunshan University. He said, Duke University has designed a new world-class, highly innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum for Duke Kunshan’s undergraduate program, and will ensure the university hires the most highly qualified faculty with a strict review process. Duke Kunshan University has a strong value proposition, and Duke will continue to work with Wuhan University to develop Duke Kunshan University into a top academic institution. Hao Ping spoke highly of the communication and cooperation between Duke University and many Chinese 985 and 211 universities, and congratulated Brodhead on the great progress made by Duke Kunshan University. Hao expressed the hope that Duke Kunshan University can combine the advantages of Duke with Chinese traditions, and establish a world-class university in China. Vice-Minister Hao also indicated that Duke’s experience in Kunshan would help set the tone for the course of liberal arts education in China.
Visiting the Ministry of Education
In the afternoon, the Duke Kunshan group visited the Ministry of Environmental Protection, where they met with Minister Chen Jining for discussions on cooperation for environmental protection. Brodhead introduced the recently founded Environmental Policy Research Center, and the International Master in Environmental Policy program to be launched at Duke Kunshan University in 2017. On behalf of the Ministry, Chen proposed to establish partnerships with Duke University and Duke Kunshan University in the fields of environmental protection, pollution control, environment and human health, environmental economics and policy, etc., as a mechanism to offer policy advice for addressing environmental challenges in China, and to enhance Sino-U.S. cooperation regarding the abatement of environmental problems.
Visiting the Ministry of Environmental Protection??
January 14, President Brodhead and the Duke Kunshan Chancellors paid a visit to the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), and exchanged viewpoints with Party Secretary Shang Yong on cooperation in off-shore innovation and entrepreneurship. Brodhead said that combining scientific research with innovative practice is a challenge that all modern universities share. Duke Kunshan University was established as an exploration of a new model of liberal arts education, in the hope that it will become an international model institution for integrating research and teaching. The Overseas Startup Base established by CAST in Jiangsu would provide substantial opportunities for cooperation between the two parties. As a result of the meeting, the two parties decided to sign an agreement to enhance Sino-U.S. cooperation in science and technology and to hold a joint conference designed specifically to forge more joint Sino-US new technology ventures.
Visiting CAST???
President Brodhead and his party also met with Zhang Jiangguo, head of State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) and Xia Mingjiu, Deputy Administrator of SAFEA. SAFEA officials were very happy to meet EVC Simon, who was awarded the China National Friendship Award in 2006; the award, which is sponsored by SAFEA, was presented to Dr. Simon by former Premier Wen Jiabao in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. On behalf of Duke Kunshan University, President Brodhead introduced the university’s academic highlights and expressed the hope to continue the very mutually beneficial 12-year long history of cooperation between Duke and SAFEA. As he indicated, Duke Kunshan is determined to become a training base for Chinese professionals from the government, academia, non-governmental organizations and enterprises. They exchanged views on enhancing cooperation regarding international talent exchange and high-level talent development. Nie Biao, director of SAFEA’s Cultural and Educational Experts Department, Deng Yonghui, associate director of the affiliated Training Center of the SAFEA and Wang Song, educational, associate director scientific and cultural expert department, also attended the meeting.
Visiting SAFEA 5
January 15, Brodhead and Duke Kunshan chancellors headed to Nanjing for meetings with Shi Taifeng, acting governor and deputy party secretary of Jiangsu province and Shen Jian, Director-General of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education. Governor Shi highly praised the contributions made by Duke Kunshan University, and pointed out that the establishment of Duke Kunshan University aligns well with the province’s strategy of building a strong position in higher education and talent development; Jiangsu is heavily committed to pursuing a strategy of innovation-driven development and economic internationalization. The Jiangsu Government will support the development and construction of Duke Kunshan University as always. The group then traveled to Kunshan, where they met with Mayor Du Xiaogang, Shen Xiaoming and Jin Ming, vice mayors of Kunshan. Du said that a pipeline between Duke Kunshan University and Duke University should be built to introduce expanded academic and education resources from Duke to Kunshan; the two parties should learn from the experiences of the first phase of construction and the philosophy of Sino-foreign joint venture universities, with the goal of pushing ahead with the construction of the second phase. The Mayor also suggested that Duke Kunshan should introduce more cutting-edge technologies and industries to support Kunshan’s economic development. Brodhead expressed his gratitude for the strong support from the government, the municipality and other related departments, and promised to create an innovative education system and press ahead with the construction and development of Duke Kunshan University as planned. The two parties agreed that Duke Kunshan University represents a strategic component of Kunshan’s long term economic development roadmap and that each side will endeavor to contribute to the long-term sustained advancement of this new but already highly dynamic and very distinctive institution.
Brodhead returned to the United States on Jan 16 after the fruitful trip to China. The trip highlighted the fact that Duke Kunshan University rapidly is becoming an important player in the higher education landscape of China. It represents Duke’s University’s long-term knowledge platform in China and serves as a key mechanism for linking together a broad range of faculty and study activities occurring all across the Chinese research and education systems.
Notes:
1 Photo courtesy of NSFC.
2 Photo courtesy of DRC.
3 Photo courtesy of China Environment News.
4 Photo courtesy of CAST.
5 Photo courtesy of SAFEA.
