Duke Kunshan Moves Ahead

China’s Ministry of Education has granted preliminary approval for the creation of Duke Kunshan University, a key step in the progress of Duke’s first international campus.

DKU, formed in partnership with WuhanUniversity and the city of Kunshan, is expected to open in the 2013-14 academic year. Construction on the six-building, 200- acre campus is under way in Kunshan, a rapidly expanding city located between Shanghai and Suzhou. The university’s initial academic offerings are expected to include two graduate programs leading to Duke degrees—a master of management studies and a master of science in global health—as well as a one-semester undergraduate program in global health. DKU will house several research centers, beginning with a Global Health Research Center.

“Through DKU, Duke will play a leadership role in creating new models of world-class higher education in China, introducing students and faculty to Duke’s signature strengths of education and the interdisciplinary study of contemporary problems,” President Richard H. Brodhead said in announcing the university’s preliminary approval.

Brodhead said DKU will provide a base for the growing number of Duke faculty members who are conducting research in or pertaining to China and offer a laboratory for educational innovation.

The ministry’s approval follows a thorough review of DKU’s proposed academic, financial, and administrative programs. The ministry will need to give final approval before DKU can begin operations.