For Duke Kunshan alumnus Spencer Reeves his connection to the university runs deep.
The Class of 2022 graduate developed a fascination with Chinese culture aged just 12, and an interest in DKU long before its doors were opened. His connection to one of its founding institutions, Duke University, goes back even further; his parents are alumni of the North Carolina institution. And his links to both are set to continue as Reeves takes up a position at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy as the first tech policy research and programs fellow.
A native of Connecticut in the northeast United States, Reeves’ path to DKU began in eighth grade when his school introduced Mandarin lessons. He “really loved” the class and it fostered in him an enduring interest in China.
That enthusiasm was further ignited a few years later, when his parents returned home from a Duke University alumni event with news of a new university, Duke Kunshan, which was to be launched as a joint project between Wuhan University in China and Duke University.
When his family visited Duke soon after and stopped by the university shop, Reeves picked out the one green DKU t-shirt amid a sea of blue Duke clothing and his parents realized their son might have more than a passing interest in the fledgling university about to be launched on the other side of the world. Indeed, Reeves’ interest soon became an application to DKU, which was accepted by the university, and followed by an invitation to visit the campus.
Despite his excitement Reeves, and his parents, remained uncertain about attending a new university so far from home. Those concerns were laid to rest when he visited the DKU campus for a weekend and met his future classmates of the pioneering inaugural class.
“The community of people I met at DKU was unlike any other university I visited,” he says. “It was really nice to hang out with people from every continent pretty much, and a lot of those friendships have lasted until today. I don’t know if I could say the same thing if I’d chosen somewhere else.”
Once on campus to begin his life’s new chapter, Reeves says he found a welcoming intellectual atmosphere, where professors left their office doors open and small study groups dotted the university grounds between classes.
Majoring in global China studies with a track in political science, he was struck by the interdisciplinary nature of the course and how it broadened his interests with classes in subjects as diverse as politics and Chinese film history.
“Initially I wasn’t accustomed to making the connections, but as I’ve grown and the courses have grown with me, I can see how important the interdisciplinary approach is. COVID is a good example, as it is an issue that requires input from many disciplines to tackle it,” he says.
Now, with graduation behind him Reeves recalls it was a “big decision” to attend DKU but one he is glad he made.
“Studying overseas has given me new perspectives and expanded my opportunities, while also making connections with an incredible set of people,” he says.
Despite moving on to a career at Duke, he hopes to maintain his connection with DKU and the friends he made there.
“We went through a lot together, being part of that pioneering class and starting a new university,” he says. “As a result, the memories of DKU and the people I met there will always stay with me alongside the lessons I learned.”
Author: John Butcher
