On September 20, 2024, the Institute for Global Higher Education (IGHE) at Duke Kunshan University (DKU) hosted IGHE Briefing and Engagement Event, a special faculty event that brought together over 70 participants, representing faculty members from across divisions and disciplines, the senior leadership, and key university stakeholders. Held at the DKU Visitor Center, the event provided an opportunity for faculty to learn more about IGHE’s mission, engage in meaningful discussions, explore how they can get involved in IGHE’s educational innovation projects to contribute to DKU’s academic growth and future directions.
In his opening remarks, Noah Pickus, Dean for Academic Strategy and Learning Innovation, Director of IGHE at DKU, and Associate Provost at Duke, emphasized the institute’s commitment to enhancing global higher education and fostering a culture of academic collaboration. He also pointed out that faculty engagement is essential for driving IGHE’s initiatives and creating impactful educational experiences.
The event showcased seven faculty-led projects, each aligned with IGHE’s strategic focus on advancing teaching and learning practices, experimenting with innovative and emerging pedagogies, promoting interdisciplinary education, advancing intercultural understanding to enrich a global liberal arts and sciences education, and fostering global educational partnerships. Among those projects, three emerged from reports requested by Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Scott MacEachern and produced by the IGHE Faculty Working Group in Spring 2024:
Context Report on Building a Global Liberal Arts and Sciences Education
Led by Ben Van Overmeire, this project explores how Chinese and Western educational philosophies can merge to create a distinct “rooted globalist” approach at DKU. It encourages faculty to draw on classical Chinese traditions, such as Confucianism and Daoism, to foster deeper global perspectives in the curriculum, while blending them with liberal arts principles. Faculty are invited to join seminars, collaborate on research, and incorporate these ideas into their own teaching.
Coherence Report on Defining, Integrating, and Teaching Durable Skills
Presented by Ying Xiong and Kyle Fruh, this initiative focuses on integrating essential durable skills across the DKU curriculum, starting with the Common Core courses. The overall pace and direction of this project will be set by VCAA MacEachern in consultation with faculty. Faculty participation is crucial in defining these skills and aligning courses to support broader student learning outcomes. The project will launch a series of faculty consultations to shape a coherent and impactful learning experience.
Capabilities Report on Advancing Theory and Practice in Teaching and Learning
Presented by Kris M. Ársælsson, this report reviewed best practices in teaching and learning and highlighted innovative approaches to enhance student learning at DKU. The project emphasizes the need for systematic experimentation with new teaching methods and emerging technologies, such as Intelligent Tutoring Systems, and invites faculty to contribute by developing peer-evaluation frameworks and participating in research programs.
In addition to the projects associated with the three reports, other projects were introduced to invite faculty participation:
- Interdisciplinary Education Project: James Miller outlined the goal of establishing DKU as a hub for research and innovation in interdisciplinarity in the Chinese higher education context. The project involves building a network of China-based scholars and administrators, organizing workshops, and hosting a reading group on interdisciplinary research and education. Faculty are encouraged to join the reading group discussions, attend events, and contribute to white papers on interdisciplinary education.
- Society, Education, and Technology (SET) Project: Daniel Weissglass presented the SET project, which supports faculty and students in adapting to emerging technologies, particularly AI. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach to leveraging DKU faculty’s disciplinary expertise to build up an in-house consultancy that offers training opportunities, conducts needs assessments, produces guidance documents, and provides research funding opportunities to explore how technology can be used to enrich education.
- Intercultural Project: Dialogue of Civilizations Around Us: Former Chancellor Youmei Feng introduced this project to explore cross-cultural experiences of DKU and Duke students and alumni. By capturing these student stories, the project aims to reflect on DKU’s unique role as a site for intercultural dialogue. Faculty are invited to join upcoming seminars and discussions to contribute their perspectives.
- Oral History Project: Helen Xu presented this project, aiming to document DKU’s 10-year journey through personal narratives from faculty, administrators, students, and staff. This project calls for faculty to share their own experiences and perspectives, preserving DKU’s institutional memory as a valuable resource for future strategic planning.
While the event highlighted the progress of existing projects, it also looked forward to exciting opportunities ahead. One key event announced was the Global Educational Innovation Conference, scheduled for March 20-22, 2025. This conference will be a platform for DKU, Duke, innovative Chinese universities, and other international thought leaders to exchange ideas and practices on educational innovation, explore collaborative opportunities, and generate insights for future education.
The event radiated a sense of shared purpose and enthusiasm as faculty members engaged in meaningful conversations on integrating innovative pedagogies into their teaching and educational research. IGHE emphasized that the institute is a collaborative environment where faculty can take ownership, explore new pathways, and develop projects that resonate with their expertise and aspirations and align with DKU’s strategic directions.
The event slides are available for download HERE. For non-Duke/DKU affiliates, please contact us at at ighe@dukekunshan.edu.cn to request access.
