Duke Kunshan University Dual-Degree Program

Duke Kunshan University

Duke Kunshan University (Duke Kunshan) is a US-China partnership of Duke University (Duke), Wuhan University, and the Municipality of Kunshan in Jiangsu province to create a world-class liberal arts and research university offering a range of academic programs for students from China and throughout the world. A nonprofit, joint-venture institution, Duke Kunshan University was granted accreditation approval by China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) in September 2013. Duke Kunshan welcomed its inaugural class of graduate students in August 2014 and launched the dual-degree undergraduate program in August 2018.

Duke Kunshan University Mission Statement

Duke Kunshan is a highly selective research-oriented, liberal arts and sciences university located in China, whose primary mission is to enable students from around the world to lead purposeful and productive lives. By delivering the highest quality undergraduate and graduate education that is truly interdisciplinary, Duke Kunshan prepares students for professional, intellectual, and societal leadership roles across the globe. The core of the educational offering is a four-year undergraduate dual-degree program featuring an integrated and multi-disciplinary curriculum, with an effective blend of Chinese, American, and global techniques and values and a culture of academic excellence and freedom. World-class faculty pursue knowledge in service to society, involving students in innovative scholarship and research programs. As a premier US-China joint-venture university, Duke Kunshan embraces the integration of global, national, and local traditions of thought and experience and promotes cross-cultural understanding and cross-border collaborations.

Duke Kunshan Animating Principles

Duke Kunshan aspires to provide a twenty-first century liberal arts education that helps students develop a sense of social responsibility and global citizenship, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.

The overarching goals are embedded in the seven animating principles that are expressed throughout the curriculum:

  1. Rooted Globalism: To cultivate informed and engaged citizens who are knowledgeable about each other’s histories, traditions of thought, and affiliations; and skilled in navigating among local, national, and global identities and commitments.

  2. Collaborative Problem-Solving: To instill the habits of collaboration and the ability to synthesize disparate insights in solving complex challenges.

  3. Research and Practice: To enhance the ability to forge links between theory and practice in the many-sided and rapidly changing world of human needs.

  4. Lucid Communication: To develop the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and to listen attentively to different viewpoints in coming to mature judgments.

  5. Independence and Creativity: To nurture free inquiry, deep reflection, and a drive to ask interesting questions and find compelling answers.

  6. Wise Leadership: To shape thinkers and doers who possess the moral compass to guide communities and institutions toward a common good and who have the wisdom and technical competence to deal effectively with complexity.

  7. A Purposeful Life: To form reflective scholars who test their core beliefs, who connect their course of study to big questions of meaning, and who build the capacity for lifelong learning and exploration.

Duke Kunshan is accredited by the MOE. Duke is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in the United States to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctorate degrees. Duke Kunshan is not accredited by SACSCOC and the accreditation of Duke does not extend to or include Duke Kunshan or its students.

Kunshan City

Kunshan, located in the southeastern part of Jiangsu province, is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region and adjacent to Shanghai municipality, two of the largest and most developed metropolitan areas in China. Kunshan is regarded as one of the most economically successful county-level administrations in China. It was ranked first in the "25 Best County-level Cities in China" study by Forbes China for the sixth year running in 2014. With an immigrant population larger than the number of its permanent residents, Kunshan is the winner of the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honor Award 2010 along with Singapore and Vienna, the most prestigious award given by the United Nations in recognition of work carried out in the field of human settlements development, for its innovative approach to granting migrants the right to essential services in the city. It also carries titles and awards such as National Hygiene City, Excellent Tourism City of China, and National Garden City, as well as the National Model City of Environment Protection and National Model Zone of Ecology.

Kunshan is culturally significant as the origin of Kunshan Diao, the melody which ultimately evolved into Kunqu Opera, one of China’s oldest extant theater arts, which has been listed as one of the World Intangible Culture Heritages by UNESCO. In history, famous figures include Zu Chongzhi, Gong Xian, Gu Yanwu, Gui Youguang, and Zhu Bailu.

The Duke Office of Duke Kunshan University Relations

The Duke Office of Duke Kunshan University Relations works in close collaboration with Duke and DKU stakeholders to develop and support initiatives across our institutions, including:

  • Developing strategy for the Duke-DKU relationship,

  • Creating and implementing programs for undergraduate and graduate students,

  • Facilitating opportunities for faculty to teach and engage in research at Duke and DKU,

  • And providing administrative, financial, human resources, and logistical support for all Duke-DKU initiatives.

The Duke Office of Duke Kunshan University Relations is located on the second floor of the Flowers Building on Duke’s West Campus. Students can reach the office by using the information below or by contacting a staff member directly.

Mailing Address
Duke Office of Duke Kunshan University Relations Box 90036
Durham, NC 27708

Physical Address
Office of Duke Kunshan University Programs 404 Chapel Drive
Flowers Building, Suite 214 Durham, NC 27708

Phone: (919) 684-1958
Fax: (919) 668-7860
Email: dkurelations@duke.edu