Students in the master of management studies program started their new semester in July at Duke’s campus in the U.S.
By DKU Staff
Duke Kunshan welcomed 160 students from around the globe at its graduate opening convocation on Aug. 20, as speakers encouraged them to rise to the challenges of the “VUCA world” and go beyond the status quo.
Members of the new cohort come from Canada, China, Myanmar, Tanzania, the United States and the United Kingdom, among other countries, and represent 115 universities. They include an experienced diplomat, Ivy League alumni, NGO leaders, and startup CEOs.
They will spend the next one or two years gaining experience through Duke Kunshan’s innovative education model, studying at campuses in China and the U.S., and conducting cutting-edge research in the lab and in the field.
Chancellor Youmei Feng makes the opening remarks
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Scott MacEachern
Making the opening remarks, Chancellor Youmei Feng stressed that students must learn to adapt quickly to a globalized world filled with VUCA — short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The term describes the situation of constant, unpredictable change that can happen in life and work.
“During your study at Duke Kunshan, I hope that you will find your calling and mission, to lead you through this VUCA world,” Feng said. “While our undergraduates explore the breadth of arts and science, you will dive deep to examine environmental issues, address health policy challenges, learn business and leadership skills, design new technologies, and provide health care solutions. Please stay passionate, stay resilient, and keep growing with this university.”
The annual convocation marks the start of a new academic year for Duke Kunshan’s four two-year master degree programs — in environmental policy (iMEP), electrical and computer engineering, global health, and medical physics. The one-year master of management studies program got underway in July at the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina.
Ivan Mura, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
Most students, faculty and staff watched the graduate opening convocation via livestream
Due to enhanced Covid-19 prevention and control measures across Jiangsu province, the university moved this year’s ceremony online, with most students, faculty and staff joining via a Zoom livestream.
Scott MacEachern, vice chancellor for academic affairs, said in his address that he hoped Chinese and international students would be able to arrive in Kunshan as soon as possible. He said their experience and talent would be a precious addition to the diverse community on campus.
Faculty speaker Ivan Mura, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, called on students to be critical thinkers, to reason in a reflective and independent way, and to integrate different viewpoints in their learning.
“We faculty love to hear students provide diverse interpretations of issues, and discuss creative and imaginative solutions to problems in the classroom. We like students that go beyond the status quo, who become active contributors to the learning process,” he said. “In the workplace, this attitude fuels growth and innovation.”
Global health student Rui Wang
Sofia Romero Campbell appeared via recorded message
Rui Wang (global health) and Sofia Romero Campbell (iMEP) served as this year’s student representatives.
Before joining Duke Kunshan’s Class of 2023, Wang worked for seven years at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including more than three years as a diplomat in the U.S. He said his most memorable moments came from witnessing the two nations work together to tackle the common threats facing humankind.
“Prosperity is a great teacher, but adversity is an even greater one,” he said. “At a time of uncertainty, successful programs like Duke Kunshan give me a solid reason to hope, that I may continue to play a role in the people-to-people diplomacy, to promote collaborative research, to avoid misunderstanding, and to help embrace diversity.”
Romero Campbell, a graduate of Smith College, Massachusetts, who is fluent in Spanish and Chinese, spoke along the same lines in her recorded address. She said that one thing she had learned in the past 18 months was that it was much more rewarding to think of obstacles as an opportunity for innovation.
“I take pride in joining a group of other motivated and highly talented individuals from different backgrounds, with their own passions, perspectives and aspirations,” she added.
Find out more about Duke Kunshan’s graduate programs.
