Duke Kunshan University held a campus-wide staff assembly to recognize six employees for 10 years of service and 65 for five years of service, while also presenting the annual DKU SPIRIT Award to individuals and teams exemplifying the university’s core values.
Executive Vice Chancellor John Quelch emphasized the university’s commitment to academic excellence and student support amid ongoing global challenges.
“Our unwavering focus on student success reflects our broader mission as a leading institution of higher education,” Quelch said. “We will continue enhancing organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction to drive long-term growth and innovation.”
Chancellor Yaolin Liu expressed gratitude to employees across departments.
“Over the years, we’ve built an international campus centered on a liberal arts education, thanks to the efforts of talented individuals from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds,” Liu said. “DKU is more than an academic institution — it’s a vibrant community dedicated to education, cross-cultural dialogue and social progress.”
Pauline Liu, senior director of human resources, shared the results of the university’s annual employee satisfaction survey and announced plans to expand training and career development programs, particularly in areas involving artificial intelligence.
The ceremony also recognized long-term staff members. Roger Fan, senior director of campus operations and university EHS, reflected on a decade of service.
“We’ve witnessed the DKU campus rise from blueprints to buildings, and we’ve seen generations of students take the DKU spirit into the world,” he said. “This decade has been a journey of mutual growth between us and the university.”
Jie Yang, an analyst at the Office of Assessment, spoke as a representative of the 5-Year Service Award recipients.
“In these five years, I’ve grown professionally — and also met my life partner here,” she said. “DKU holds a special place in my heart.”
The DKU SPIRIT Award—short for Service, Professionalism, Integration, Resilience, Innovation and Transformation—was established under John Quelch’s leadership to celebrate individuals and teams that embody these values.
Winners of this year’s SPIRIT Award include:
- Team Award: Center for Teaching and Learning
- Individual Award: Yue Shen (Operations Office), Grace Koh (Lab Management Office), Kaikai Yang (Global Health Program), Tiedan Zhang (CFO Office), and Katherine Yang (EVC Office)
- Volunteer Award: Jocky Zhu (Division of Natural and Applied Sciences), Tiedan Zhang (CFO Office), and Chelsea Liu (Finance Office)
- Special Contribution Award: Lehui Zhu (Food Safety) and Huaihao Sun (Fire Safety Engineering)
