Duke Kunshan University convened its 2026 Advisory Board annual meeting on campus, focusing on how DKU can prepare students for a rapidly changing world shaped by artificial intelligence, geopolitical uncertainty and social change.
The meeting, the 13th since the Advisory Board was established, was held alongside DKU’s 2026 Commencement. Attendees included 15 Advisory Board members, 12 members of DKU’s Board of Trustees and representatives from Duke University.
Yichen Zhang
The meeting was chaired by Advisory Board Chair Yichen Zhang, chairman and CEO of CITIC Capital. Zhang welcomed attendees, introduced the board’s new members and emphasized its role in supporting DKU’s long-term development and strengthening its global connections. With the addition of eight new members over the past year, the Advisory Board now has 36 members.
DKU Chancellor Yaolin Liu, Executive Vice Chancellor John Quelch, and Duke University Provost Alec Gallimore, chair of DKU’s Board of Trustees, delivered opening remarks, thanking Advisory Board members for their support and highlighting DKU’s progress in liberal arts education, global collaboration and innovation-driven learning.
Yaolin Liu (left) and John Quelch
Alec Gallimore
Liu said DKU’s mission as a bridge institution is increasingly important as advances in AI, geopolitical uncertainty and changing societal expectations reshape higher education around the world.
“For DKU, that purpose is grounded in our identity as a bridge — between China and the world, between tradition and innovation, and between knowledge and practice,” Liu said.
Quelch said DKU continues to make steady progress, citing strong student demand, graduate outcomes, growing international recognition for faculty and students, and advances in sustainability and campus operations.
“In a world marked by uncertainty and rapid change, Duke Kunshan demonstrates the enduring value of international collaboration in higher education,” Quelch said.
Gallimore outlined Duke’s global engagement strategy and reaffirmed Duke’s commitment to DKU as one of its long-standing global partnerships.
“We remain very proud of Duke’s role in establishing DKU, especially its distinctive position as a U.S.-style undergraduate institution in China, with a liberal arts curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and self-exploration,” Gallimore said.
William C. Kirby
William C. Kirby, Advisory Board vice chair and T.M. Chang Professor of China Studies at Harvard University, reflected on the development of higher education in China and the U.S. and discussed DKU’s evolving role in that broader context.
Professors Scott MacEachern, Yisue Zhou, Junyi Li, and Daniel Weissglass (clockwise from top left)
Yisu Zhou, China director of DKU’s Institute for Global Higher Education, presented updates on the university’s work to advance innovative educational practices and global academic collaboration.
Another major focus of the meeting was the impact of AI on education, work and society. Faculty representatives from DKU’s AI and Higher Education Working Group shared updates on initiatives related to faculty development, academic integrity and equitable access to educational resources.
Student participation was also a central part of the meeting. In a “Meeting of the Minds” session, students joined board members for small-group discussions on the transition from education to employment in a world increasingly shaped by AI.
Advisory Board members also attended the opening of the DKU Innovation Hub, where student teams showcased projects in entrepreneurship and applied learning. They praised students’ independent thinking, global perspective and communication skills, saying those qualities reflected DKU’s approach to preparing graduates for a changing world.
The meeting continued the next day with a student entrepreneurship panel, where student founders discussed their entrepreneurial experiences and projects while Advisory Board members shared feedback and advice.
The meeting concluded with panel discussions on DKU’s future in a global context and the work of DKU’s Institute of Law, Markets and Society, with faculty and invited speakers contributing perspectives on AI, education, institutional innovation and emerging research priorities.
