Rooftop solar heaters, an underground energy center, rainwater systems and a community garden became part of the lesson as Duke Kunshan University held its annual Sustainability Day on Aug. 20.
Part of Orientation Week, the event introduced incoming undergraduate and graduate students to how sustainability is woven into teaching, research, campus operations and student life at DKU.
Coraline Goron, assistant professor of environmental policy and director of the Climate and Sustainability Initiative, opened the event with an introduction to global environmental challenges and sustainability at DKU. She also highlighted courses, research opportunities and campus projects available to students.
This year’s program included nine themed tours, including a new composting route, as well as a new research showcase.
On one route, students visited the DKU Community Garden to learn about sustainable farming and the connections among food, land and community. Another focused on efforts to prevent bird collisions with buildings, introducing students to bird specimens, citizen-science surveys and bird-friendly design.
At the Sports Complex, students examined rooftop solar heaters and the boilers that supply hot water for showers in student residences. A visit to the Energy Center showed how DKU’s centralized cooling and heating systems help regulate indoor temperatures across campus.
Other groups explored the university’s air filtration and air quality monitoring systems, learned how drinking water is purified and tested, followed the campus rainwater system to understand its sponge-city design, and took part in composting activities.
Students on the animal-care route learned about the student-led Animal Protection Academy and how to interact with stray animals safely and responsibly.
At a waste-sorting station, they competed to place beanbags representing different types of waste into the correct bins, learning about Kunshan’s household waste-sorting rules and local disposal practices.
Three films explored environmental issues at different scales. “Behind the Bin: Tracking DKU Waste,” directed and filmed by DKU undergraduates Yu Junyi, Li Xiangyi and Zhao Nanshan, follows what happens to campus waste after it leaves the trash bin. “Immaculate,” directed by former BBC researcher Ningjing Wang, uses amphibians and their habitats to examine species extinction and biodiversity conservation. Ian Cheney’s “The Smog of the Sea” focuses on marine microplastic pollution.
The new research showcase featured interviews with the directors of four DKU research centers: the Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Digital Innovation Research Center, Environmental Research Center and Humanities Research Center. The videos introduced their research areas and opportunities for students to engage in sustainability research.
Undergraduate and graduate research conducted under faculty supervision was also presented through posters and videos, showing the range of sustainability-related research underway across disciplines.
Elsewhere on campus, a sustainability treasure hunt sent groups in search of features including a LEED Gold certification plaque, water-quality reports, air-quality sensors, compost bins, hazardous-waste bins, bird-collision prevention window stickers and Chinese tallow trees.
The activity gave students another way to explore the campus while learning how its facilities and natural features relate to sustainability.
The afternoon concluded with a sustainability club showcase in the library, where student organizations including Sustainable DKU, the Animal Protection Academy, the Wildlife Observers Society and REACH introduced their work and opportunities for new students to get involved.
The event was jointly organized by the Climate and Sustainability Initiative and the Office of Student Experience, with support from student volunteers and departments across the university.
