Let’s Talk About Climate Change, a new interdisciplinary course introduced this fall semester for all undergraduates at Duke Kunshan University, attracted a record 154 students to a class taught by a team of 19 professors from various disciplines.
Known for small class sizes and a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:7 for its undergraduate program, DKU typically offers classes with fewer than 20 students each. The launch of this interdisciplinary course reflects DKU’s commitment to raising awareness of the global challenge in all fields of study.
In the coming weeks, 16 professors from fields such as mathematics, history, biology, global health, philosophy, and environmental science will discuss topics including energy, biology, ecology, climate justice, global governance, and personal ethics, to demonstrate how climate change intersects with all academic disciplines at DKU, equip students of all majors for a future that is being transformed by climate change, and nurture their interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving skills.
The inaugural class was led by James Miller, professor of humanities and associate dean for interdisciplinary initiatives at DKU; Coraline Goron, assistant professor of environmental policy; and Ding Ma, assistant professor of atmospheric and environmental science.
The course, listed in the course catalog as DKU102, meets every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the fall semester. Students learn from the professors in the first hour and then engage in discussions and activities in the second hour. Spanning 13 weeks of the fall semester, the course has no graded assignments, and students earn two credits by participating in the weekly classes.
