August 22, Duke Kunshan University (DKU) held an opening convocation for the academic year 2015-2016 to welcome new students admitted to the Undergraduate Global Learning Semester, Master of Science in Global Health, and Master of Science in Medical Physics programs. Faculty members and staff joined the new students in celebrating the opening of the university’s second academic year. During the event, all the new students followed the university’s tradition in signing the DKU Community Standard, pledging to uphold principles of honesty, fairness, respect and responsibility.
New students of Class 2016 of the university’s Master of Management Studies program, who already started their studies at the Fuqua School of Business on Duke Campus early August, greeted the new students in Kunshan in a video message. They will come to Kunshan in October to continue their study until graduation next year.
In his welcoming speech, Chancellor Liu Jingnan urged the students to equip themselves with wisdom and courage. ‘While you’ll be enjoying the exquisite, creative and inspiring liberal arts curriculum offered here at DKU, you should also adapt to a teaching and learning style that focuses on solving problems in an interdisciplinary approach. It is a highly intensive process with close engagements in science and research, so you are expected to switch from a conventional lecture-centered learning style to a more proactive one that fosters independent thinking, free discussions and experiments under faculty guidance,’ said Liu. ‘On the path to innovation and discovery, you should take courage to challenge the authority of your predecessors, textbooks and even professors, and more importantly, to confront any of your own norms and stereotypes. ‘
DKU Chancellor, Jingnan Liu
Haiyan Gao, Henry Newson professor of physics at Duke University and DKU vice chancellor for academic affairs spoke on behalf of faculty at the ceremony. Drawing on her own experience, she emphasized the importance of ‘combining the strength of east and west’ in ‘building a leading innovative research university with liberal arts teaching philosophy and pedagogy’ in the 21st century. She also encouraged the students to ‘be brave, make new friends, embrace new cultures, and of course work very hard.’
DKU vice chancellor for academic affairs, Prof. Haiyan Gao
As the graduate student representative, Deng Xinchen from Master of Science in Medical Physics program shared her experience of coming back from U.S. to further study in China. She challenged her fellow students to follow their hearts in making decisions and embracing the unknown and changes in life. Undergraduate student Carmen Pharr from the U.S. expressed her excitement at living and studying in China. She called the students to ‘approach this semester not with fear of the unknown but with an open mindset and a willingness to broaden our intellectual horizons.’
Graduate student representative, Xinchen Deng
Undergraduate student representative, Carmen Pharr
Prior to the opening convocation, the new students kicked off the orientation week shortly after arriving on campus earlier this week. Designed to help new students adjust to the new campus and understand the university’s academic expectations, the week-long orientation offered intense sessions on campus policies, safety and health, faculty advising meetings, library resources, academic integrity, intercultural competence, and so on. Various social activities including ice-breaking night, movies, cultural excursions and a barbeque party were also arranged to help students to get to know each other and prepare for campus life.
Signing the DKU Community Standard
Except for the Master of Management Studies program, the new academic year’s classes start on Aug 24. The undergraduate Global Learning Semester (GLS) program welcomed 53 undergraduate students from prestigious institutions in the U.S., India, South Korea and China. The GLS program facilitates learning and discovery across disciplines in a broad range of areas of study. Courses in the fall semester include topics in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and language studies, and grant course credit from Duke University for transfer to the students’ home institutions.
A new student taking photo with DKU chancellors
A total of 38 graduate students from 14 countries from Asia, Europe, Africa, America and Oceania have been enrolled to DKU’s three masters programs in global health, medical physics and management studies. The students will receive master’s degrees from Duke University upon the completion of their studies.
Group photo of students and faculty members
