From planting on a living wall to touring the campus energy hub, students at Duke Kunshan University got a hands-on look at what sustainable living means during the school’s annual Sustainability Day on August 13.
The event, held for Class of 2029 undergraduates and Class of 2027 graduate students, wove lessons on climate and conservation into orientation week through interactive tours, games and workshops.
The day opened with a lecture by Coraline Goron, assistant professor of environmental policy and chair of DKU’s Sustainability Committee. She urged students to see climate change as one of the defining issues of their generation, and introduced DKU’s environmental courses, research opportunities and projects launched under the Climate and Sustainability Initiative (CSI).
“Through today’s activities, we hope students not only deepen their awareness of environmental issues but also make sustainability part of their identity at DKU,” Goron said when interviewed by DKU Communications. “We also want them to build friendships and bonds that will last throughout their time here.”
Students then split into nine themed tours across campus. Stops included the university’s solar facilities and central energy plant, a living green wall where students planted their own “mini carbon sinks,” and the award-winning sponge city zone designed for rainwater capture. Other tours showcased biodiversity sites with bird-strike prevention measures, community gardens, clean water systems, air quality monitoring platforms and designated feeding stations for stray cats.
In total, 53 tours were held, guided by faculty, staff and student volunteers.
Beyond tours, students watched three documentaries on sustainability: “On the Back of the Bees” by DKU Class of 2026 undergraduate Johann Asmus León, “Immaculate” by BBC researcher Ningjing Wang, and “Sagebrush Gold” by Marcus Widger. Wang attended the DKU event and spoke about her experiences in wildlife filmmaking, telling students her goal was “to tell the story that no one tells.”
The program also included a waste-sorting game designed to introduce international students to Kunshan’s recycling rules.
“The coolest thing I’ve learned about sustainability at DKU is the importance of keeping waste separated and making sure it actually goes into a bin,” said Ayanna Eaves, an undergraduate from the United States in the Class of 2029. “That way the campus stays clean, animals don’t eat trash and the campus remains beautiful.”
Other activities included a campus-wide sustainability treasure hunt and a student club fair highlighting groups such as Sustainable DKU, the Animal Protection Academy, the Wildlife Observers Society and ECOnnect, a biodiversity project led by graduate students.
“One thing I found impressive was how many of the sustainability projects on campus are student-led,” said Eoghan Geoghegan, a graduate student in the International Master of Environmental Policy (iMEP) program, Class of 2027. “I think there’s a strong effort from both the university and the student community to do their best to become more sustainable.”
Launched in April 2024, CSI serves as DKU’s hub for sustainability efforts across campus. It promotes environmental education, research, campus operations and external engagement, while helping integrate sustainability into courses, student life and campus design. Through CSI, students can participate in research, innovation and student-led projects, helping DKU advance its goal of becoming a leading “green university.”
Watch highlights from Sustainability Day on DKU’s official YouTube channel here.
