Scholars, policymakers and industry leaders gathered March 13 at Duke Kunshan University for the 2026 Duke International Forum to discuss ecosystem resilience, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and investment for resilience.
DKU Executive Vice Chancellor John Quelch, who moderated the opening ceremony, said the forum’s theme, “Weaving Natural Systems, Building Resilient Legacies,” reflects “a growing recognition that environmental sustainability, economic development, and social resilience are deeply interconnected.”
“Collaboration across disciplines, sectors and institutions has become more essential than ever,” he said. “Universities play an important role in convening dialogue, advancing research, and cultivating the next generation of leaders who will address global environmental challenges.”
He added that the Climate and Sustainability Initiative, or CSI, served in 2025 as the university’s main coordinating body for campus sustainability efforts, with a sustainability committee and four thematic subcommittees focused on education, research, operations and engagement. CSI also supports learning and collaboration through a sustainability academy, organizes universitywide activities such as Sustainability Day during orientation, and backs student-led initiatives including the DKU Sustainability Report and the ECOnnect Project.
In welcome remarks, Chancellor Yaolin Liu said the forum has been held regularly at DKU since 2015, serving as an open platform for dialogue on major global challenges.
“As DKU enters its second decade, we have identified several strategic priorities for the years ahead, including environmental sustainability, climate change, global health, and educational innovation,” he said.
Toddi Steelman, Duke University’s vice president and vice provost for climate and sustainability, said intensifying climate volatility, accelerating biodiversity loss, growing resource pressures and widening inequality are reshaping economies, ecosystems and institutions in real time.
“The question before us is not whether change is happening,” she said, “it is whether our systems of education, research, finance and governance are evolving fast enough and boldly enough to respond.”
She said universities should play a larger role in producing knowledge that is “not only rigorous but usable,” educating across boundaries, and aligning capital more effectively with resilience goals through private investment and innovative financing mechanisms.
Click the left or right arrows to browse through the photo slides
Senior representatives from Wuhan University, the Kunshan city government and the Jiangsu Province Department of Education also underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration and DKU’s role in connecting China and the world around shared sustainability challenges.
The forum also featured the release of the second edition of DKU’s Campus Sustainability Report, along with keynote speeches, student presentations and roundtable discussions on education, nature-based solutions and business investment in resilience.
First convened in 2015, the Duke International Forum has addressed topics including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, green investment, climate change and sustainable development.
Click the left or right arrows to browse through the photo slides
