Sally Kornbluth, Provost of Duke University, and Feng Youmei, Executive Vice President of Wuhan University, Unveiled the Institute at the DKU Campus Opening Ceremony, November 2014

WHU-DUKE Research Institute

Launched in November 2014, the WHU-DUKE Research Institute at Duke Kunshan University is established to further enhance and promote close and multi-facet collaborations between faculty and students at Duke University (DUKE) and Wuhan University (WHU) in education and research.

The WHU-Duke Research Institute provides a research and collaboration platform for faculty and students from WHU, DUKE, DKU and other universities and research institutions across the world. Researchers from various backgrounds and areas will collaborate in research activities of common interests at the WHU-Duke Research Institute. Having researchers come together and pursue academic excellence at DKU, the Institute fulfills its mission by facilitating research innovation in the academic arena and supporting social and economic growth in the Kunshan City, Yangtze River Delta region and beyond.

An academic committee consisting of faculty representatives from Duke University, Wuhan University and Duke Kunshan University serves as the Institute’s academic advisory body, and also provides oversight in functions such as appointment and the assessment for the Institute. The academic committee includes the following members from the three partners: 

Wuhan University

  • Jun Xia, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering
  • Chang Liu, Dean of School of Physics and Technology
  • Yaolin Liu, Dean of School of Resource and Environmental Sciences
  • Zhijian Yang, Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics
  • Yuhui Sun, Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Duke University

  • Lawrence Carin, Vice Provost for Research
  • Michael Merson, Vice President and Vice Provost, Global Strategy and Programs
  • Haiyan Gao, Henry Newson Professor of Physics

Duke Kunshan University

  • Prof. Shenglan Tang, Director of Global Health Research Center 
  • Prof. Junjie Zhang, Director of Environmental Research Center and Master of Environmental Policy 
  • Prof. Denis Simon, Executive Vice Chancellor, Professor of China Business and Technology Strategy
  • Prof. Hui Li (Liaison), Senior Advisor to Chancellors for Partner and External Relations