Leadership

Yaolin Liu, Ph.D.

Chancellor

Dr. Yaolin Liu has been the Chancellor of Duke Kunshan University since September 2023.

An expert in geographic information science, Liu holds the title of Changjiang Distinguished Professor at Wuhan University, the highest academic honor issued to an individual in higher education by China’s Ministry of Education, and is vice chairman of the Ministry of Education’s Steering Committee on Geography Education.

At Wuhan University, Liu served as dean of its School of Resources and Environmental Science for 17 years and most recently led two key national laboratories of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Education, respectively.

A member of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, Liu has received major grants from organizations such as the National Natural Science Foundation, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, and State Bureau of Survey and Mapping for his research on geographic information science, cartography and land resource management.

He is a three-time winner of the National Grade II Prize of Science and Technology Progress Award, one of the top five science and technology awards established by China’s State Council. He has 40 domestic and international invention patents. Of the 400 + papers he published, more than 250 were indexed by SCI/SSCI. Stanford University listed Liu in the authoritative World’s Top 2% Scientists 2022.

His research and its applications have won him many other important awards and sponsorships, such as the Land and Resources Science and Technology Progress Award, Surveying and Mapping Science and Technology Progress Award, National Outstanding Scientific and Technological Worker, National Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talents Project, Trans-Century Training Program by the Ministry of Education, and National Special Support Program for High-Level Talents.

In addition to being a scientist, Liu has been a devoted educator for the past 30 years, producing award-winning textbooks and courses and receiving numerous teaching excellence awards. He is a recipient of awards such as the National Outstanding Teacher Award, the Baosteel Excellent Teacher Award, the National Outstanding Textbook Award, and the National Outstanding Course Award.

Liu has extensive academic and leadership experience both in China and overseas. He spent 10 years as the vice president of the Chinese Society for Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography and a member of the State Council’s Disciplinary Review Group, and 8 years as the vice president of the International Cartographic Association. Liu’s numerous leadership roles in academia also include: Member of the Discipline Review Group of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee, Council Member of China Land Science Society; and Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society for Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography. He has worked as a visiting scholar in both Europe and the United States.

Liu received his Ph.D. from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, in 2002, and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the China University of Geoscience in 1988 and 1982, respectively.

John Quelch, DBA

Executive Vice Chancellor and American President

Dr. John Quelch is Executive Vice Chancellor, American President, and Distinguished Professor of Social Science at Duke Kunshan University, as well as the John deButts Professor of Practice at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Quelch is a veteran academic administrator, having served as dean of three leading business schools on three continents: London Business School; the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS); and, most recently, the University of Miami Herbert Business School where he was also vice provost and the Leonard M. Miller University Chair Professor.

Quelch was a professor at Harvard Business School for over thirty years, concluding his service in 2017 as the first person to hold joint professorial appointments at both Harvard Business School and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. He had been the first student to graduate from both schools in the 1970s.

Quelch’s research focused on strategic marketing and applications of consumer psychology to business problems. He is the author, coauthor and editor of twenty-five books including Greater Good (2008); All Business Is Local (2012); Consumers, Corporations and Public Health (2016); and Choice Matters: How Healthcare Consumers Make Decisions (2018). His Harvard Business School case studies have collectively sold over seven million copies worldwide.

Quelch is also a dedicated mentor, coach and teacher. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for providing hundreds of students with career development and leadership advice, and eight members of his teams have gone on to become deans of prestigious business schools.

Quelch received his BA in Modern History from the University of Oxford. He earned an MBA at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; an SM from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; and a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.

He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by HM Queen Elizabeth in 2011. In 2012, he received the Silver Magnolia Award from the Shanghai Municipal Government for his service at CEIBS.

Scott MacEachern, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Dr. Scott MacEachern is the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and a Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology at Duke Kunshan University. He received his B.A. (Honors) in Anthropology from the University of Prince Edward Island, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Calgary (1991). Before 2018, he was Professor of Anthropology at Bowdoin College, where he also served as Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Dr. MacEachern joined Duke Kunshan University as one of the founding faculty in its undergraduate degree program in July 2018 and was appointed as the inaugural Divisional Chair of Social Sciences later that year. He worked closely with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies on matters concerning the management and development of the undergraduate program, and with the Dean of Undergraduate Curricular Affairs and Faculty Development on curriculum design and faculty recruitment. Currently as the Chief Academic Officer at Duke Kunshan University, Dr. MacEachern works closely with the Chancellors to provide strategic academic leadership and to ensure the highest quality of educational programs and research activities. He has primary responsibility for recruitment of world-class faculty, faculty development and retention, as well as faculty appointment, promotion and tenure. He is also responsible for all academic and research-related university policies and procedures, and he oversees all academic and related units that support the teaching and research mission.

Dr. MacEachern’s archaeological research focuses on the southern Lake Chad Basin of Central Africa. His main research interests are in the origins of ancient Africa states, international cultural heritage management, and African and global archaeogenetics. His most recent book is “Searching for Boko Haram: A History of Violence in Central Africa.” He has served as President of the Society of African Archaeologists, and was elected chair of both the Faculty Governance Committee and the Promotions and Tenure Committee at Bowdoin. His teaching interests at Duke Kunshan include Cultures and Movements, Anthropology and Archaeology.

Hongtao Cai, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor for Government Affairs

Dr. Hongtao Cai joined DKU as Vice Chancellor for Government Affairs in June 2023. Before coming to DKU, he was a professor and doctoral advisor of Space Physics at Wuhan University, where he also served as Academic Dean (since 2015), Chair of the Industry-University-Research Committee (since 2019) of Electronic Information School and Vice Director of Meridian Project Phase II (since 2018). He has extensive experience with high-tech industrialization and higher education administration.

He received his Bachelor’s degree in Material Physics in 1998 and his Ph.D. in Space Physics in 2003 from Wuhan University. He was a visiting scholar in the Space Science Department at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the UK, in 2007.

His research interests mainly focus on space exploring techniques and modeling, magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling, radiowave propagation and how it can be applied in engineering. He has led or participated in more than 30 national-level projects, including those of the NSFC Innovation Group and key R&D plans of MST. His research findings have been applied in various fields. His articles were published in academic journals, including the Journal of Geophysical Research and IEEE AWPL. He is also a council member of the Chinese Society of Space Research, a member of the Sun-Terrestrial Physics Committee and a member of the Space Technology and Operation Committee.

Xiaoshu Li, Ph. D.

Senior Advisor to Chancellors for Partnership and Academic Projects

Dr. Xiaoshu Li joined DKU in May 2023, and is the Senior Advisor to Chancellors for Partnership and Academic Projects. Prior to joining DKU, Dr. Li previously served as Director of the Office of International Affairs, Director of Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs, Director of the Office of DKU Affairs at Wuhan University, and ex-officio member of the DKU Board of Trustees. He presided over the formulation of strategies of internationalization including the 14^th Five Year Plan for Internationalization at Wuhan University, and vigorously promoted the development of global partnership network, cross-border education, joint research platforms and closer WHU-DKU cooperation including joint supervision of postgraduates and seed funding for research collaboration.

Dr. Li also served as vice president of International Talent Exchange Society of Hubei Province, a standing member of China Association of International Education Exchange, a trustee of Education Foundation of Wuhan University and an evaluation expert on China-foreign joint venture education.

Dr. Li received his BA degree in English Literature in 1997, MA degree in law in 2004, and Ph. D. in international law in 2009 from Wuhan University. He was a visiting fellow with the University of Sydney, Australia, the University College Dublin, Ireland, and the University of Dundee, Scotland, respectively. He also worked with the Ministry of Education of China in Beijing and the Education Office of the Embassy of the P. R. China in Canada as a first secretary for a few years.

As a veteran and long-time researcher in the fields of higher education administration and international education, Dr. Li published two monographs including Research on Legal Issues in Cross-border Education, and Double First-class Development & Internationalization, and dozens of research articles.

June Lang

Chief Financial Officer

June Lang is the Chief Financial Officer at Duke Kunshan University, providing strategic, operational and financial leadership for DKU, as well as developing and overseeing the Finance and Procurement Offices to support DKU’s mission. As a member of DKU’s leadership team, she plays a significant role in planning for broad issues affecting the DKU community. She is also involved in matters related to the DKU Education Development Foundation.

Before joining DKU, June worked at Procter & Gamble, a global leader in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, where she served as Vice President of Finance. Through the 23 years, June led various finance teams across multiple markets, product categories (Fabric & Home Care, Hair Care, Skin Care & Cosmetics, Feminine Care) and disciplines (FP&A, market operation, supply chain and corporate function) to deliver excellent business results. She has rich experience in strategy development, business planning, financial analysis, budget management, governance and organizational development.

June received her bachelor’s degree from the School of Finance at Renmin University of China in 2001.

Xin Li, Ph.D.

Associate Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Research

Xin Li received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2005, and the M.S. and B.S. degrees in Electronics Engineering from Fudan University in 2001 and 1998, respectively. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, and is leading the graduate programs at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). In addition, he is also overseeing all research activities and research-related compliance at DKU. His research interests include algorithms, methodologies and systems for data analysis of emerging applications such as smart manufacturing, autonomous driving, data-driven marketing and financial technologies. Dr. Xin Li received the NSF CAREER Award in 2012, two IEEE Donald O. Pederson Best Paper Awards in 2013 and 2016, the DAC Best Paper Award in 2010, two ICCAD Best Paper Awards in 2004 and 2011, the ISIC Best Paper Award in 2014, and the Cadence Academic Collaboration Award in 2018. He is a Fellow of IEEE.

Zach Fredman, Ph.D.

Dean of Faculty Affairs

Dr. Zach Fredman is the Dean of Faculty Affairs and Associate Professor of History at Duke Kunshan University. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Arizona, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Boston University. He joined DKU in 2018 as part of the founding faculty cohort for the undergraduate degree program. Before coming to DKU, he held postdoctoral fellowships at Dartmouth College and Nanyang Technological University.

Dr. Fredman leads the Office of Faculty Affairs, which is charged with overseeing faculty professional development and the stewardship of reappointment and rank and tenure processes. He is also responsible for developing academic policy, overseeing faculty mentoring programs, and serving as the first point of contact regarding all faculty-facing policies. Prior to taking up this role in 2026, Dr. Fredman held multiple leadership positions at DKU, including Chair of the Division of Arts and Humanities and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs.

Dr. Fredman’s historical research focuses on twentieth-century U.S.-East Asian relations and modern China. He is author of The Tormented Alliance: American Servicemen and the Occupation of China, 1941–1949 (University of North Carolina Press, 2022), and co-editor of Uneasy Allies: Sino-American Relations at the Grassroots, 1937–1949 (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

Yisu Zhou, Ph.D.

Interim Dean of Academic Strategy and Learning Innovation

China Director of the Institute for Global Higher Education

Yisu Zhou is Interim Dean of Academic Strategy and Learning Innovation, Professor of Public Policy and Sociology, and China Director of the Institute for Global Higher Education at Duke Kunshan University. Trained as a sociologist, his research focuses on education policy and higher education development in the Greater China region. His broad research interests cover vocational and technical education, social stratification in education, and the institutional dynamics of Chinese higher education, bringing both methodological versatility and a comparative perspective to his work.

Zhou holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy from Michigan State University and a B.S. in Statistics from East China Normal University. Previously, he spent 13 years at the University of Macau in various roles, including tenured faculty member and inaugural director of the Doctor of Education program.

Christopher Van Velzer, Ph.D.

Dean of Student Experience

Christopher Van Velzer serves as the chief student experience officer at DKU and the head of DKU’s Office of Student Experience. The Office of Student Experience (OSE) underscores DKU’s commitment to an integrated approach to providing world-class student services, and to building and fostering an inclusive and diverse global community focused on student success and engagement. The OSE includes Residence Life, Campus Engagement, Athletics, Counseling and Wellness Services, Chinese and International Student Services, Student Conduct, Student Accommodations Services and the Office of Case Management, Career Services and the Office of Global Education.

Van Velzer has worked in higher education for 22 years and has spent the last 16 years as an international education leader in the Shanghai-Jiangsu region of China. His early career in higher education was inspired by his student leadership experiences and led to roles in university fundraising and student affairs, which included overseeing student organizations and Greek life.

After moving to China, he established and was appointed founding director of Pepperdine University’s Shanghai international study away center in partnership with Fudan University (2007-2012). He subsequently served in senior Shanghai-based roles for two of the largest U.S.-based study abroad providers, the Council on International Education Exchange (China director) and the Institute for Study Abroad (resident director and director of global learning and assessment).

Van Velzer’s research interests focus on intercultural competency, models of global learning, and inclusive excellence. His most recent publication is a co-authored chapter in the book, “A House Where All Belong: Redesigning Education Abroad for Inclusive Excellence” (The Forum on Education Abroad, 2022).

He received his bachelor’s degree in Humanities (2001) and a master’s in Business Administration (2005) from Pepperdine University, followed by a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University (July 2019).

Outside of work, Van Velzer enjoys urban and street photography and his training as an operatic tenor. He also wrote the lyrics for DKU’s alma mater song, “With Voices Raised”.

Hanguo (Luke) Li, Ed.D.

Dean of China Enrollment Management

Hanguo (Luke) Li is leading the China Enrollment Management Office, including the undergraduate student recruitment, marketing, admissions and financial aid teams. His office is responsible for developing and implementing strategies and activities to enroll top-notch students from China for the university’s unique liberal arts undergraduate education program. Previously, he was Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, in charge of projects and initiatives that have strategic importance for Duke Kunshan’s development. He is also serving as Chair of the DKU Trade Union. From 2013 to 2017, he was Director of the Chancellor’s Office. Luke has rich experience in higher education administration and corporate management. Prior to joining Duke Kunshan in 2013, Luke established Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business East Asia Office where he was Regional Director. There he led the planning and management of the School’s business development, corporate relations, marketing and recruitment, program management and alumni relations in the East Asia region. Before that, Luke worked for multinational companies, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hewlett-Packard and Nokia, mainly in audit and finance management. He also worked as a Management Consultant for Bain & Company, one of the top 3 global strategic consulting firms, where his clients included high-tech, consumer products, non-profit and private equity firms.

Luke is also committed to social responsibility. He is a member of the 15th China People’s Political Consultative Conference (Suzhou), Vice-Chair of Red Cross Society of Kunshan, and an Executive Board Member of Kunshan Overseas Friendship Association.

Luke earned his Bachelor’s degree in International Finance from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, an MBA degree from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.

Roger Fan

Senior Director of Operations and University EHS

Roger Fan takes the position as the Senior Director of Operations and University EHS, reporting to the executive vice chancellor. His main job responsibilities will be providing operational leadership for the Duke Kunshan University (DKU) campus while developing and overseeing a variety of campus operations and EHS functions that will support the advancement of core business operations and programmatic endeavors of the university. Along with overseeing the campus services, building, engineering, university-wide EHS, housing and conference center, conference planning and event services, Roger also takes the role of the emergency coordinator in the emergency preparedness task force.

Roger joined Duke Kunshan University on July 1st, 2015. Before his current assignment he has taken the roles within DKU as Director of Operations, Associate Director for Innovation Building, and Senior Project Consultant for Innovation building and Phase II planning.

Prior to joining DKU, Roger worked in JLL as a facility management consultant and senior project manager for Duke Kunshan University Phase I Project, and facility account manager to deliver facility management services for other JLL clients.

Roger received his diploma in electrical engineering in 1991 and a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1996. He has over 25 years of working experience for both overseas, international and state-owned organizations in multi industries with solid knowledge and management skills in the area of real estate, engineering, information technology as well as facility and project management.

Cheng Feng

Chair, Duke Kunshan University Education Development Foundation

Senior Director, Development and Alumni Relations

Ms. FENG Cheng is the Chair of the Duke Kunshan University Education Development Foundation (DKU Foundation) and the Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). In charge of DKU’s fundraising and alumni relations work, Cheng joined DKU in 2013 and has built the DKU Development and Alumni Relations team as well as the DKU Foundation from scratch.

Cheng has diverse professional experience in marketing, communications, development and policy research in both non-profit organizations and Fortune Global 500 companies. She started her career as a marketing professional at L’Oreal China where she successfully launched one of the company’s top-selling products in China. At MSD China (known as Merck in the U.S. and Canada), she was in charge of corporate branding and internal communications for this organization with more than 5,000 employees, winning both the CEO Award and the Global Award for Excellence.

Among her non-profit endeavors, Cheng created and led the first panel on China’s non-profit sector for the Harvard China Forum; her research work for the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development had been published as part of their reports. An art lover, she was deeply involved in the development and volunteer work for the Metropolitan Museum and Jazz at Lincoln Center while living and working in New York City from 2008 to 2010.

Raised in Shanghai, China, Cheng got her bachelor’s degrees in English and Economics from Peking University and her master’s degree in Public Policy (MPP) from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

Lydia Jin

Senior Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Lydia Jin has served as Senior Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications at Duke Kunshan University since October 2016. She leads the university’s communications and branding initiatives in China and globally.

Lydia began her career at Xinhua News Agency’s International News Department, where her work on international relations was published by Xinhua and many Chinese and English media outlets. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Young Professional Award from Xinhua News Agency in 1996.

Before joining Duke Kunshan University, Lydia was Director of Communications and External Affairs at Otis Elevator (China) Investment Co., Ltd., overseeing corporate communications and government affairs. In 2013, she led her team to win the Otis Global President Award, marking the first time in the company’s 160-year history that a communications team received this honor. Previously, she was a brand manager at Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler Automobile Co., Ltd., where she managed communications for both the Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz brands.

A World Bank Scholar, Lydia earned a master’s degree in International Development Policy from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. She also holds a BA in British and American Literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Beyond her leadership roles, Lydia is also a passionate writer and a member of the Kunshan Writers’ Association. She has contributed to several publications, including editing the English edition of China Almanac during her time at Xinhua. While at Otis, she collaborated with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine to launch and co-edit a popular science book. The book is available in over 100 libraries across China, including the National Library of China, and later received awards from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the State Administration of Radio, Film, Television, and Publishing.

Pauline Liu

Senior Director of Human Resources

Pauline Liu is the Senior Director for Human Resources of Duke Kunshan University. Pauline joined Duke Kunshan University in October 2012 as the founding director of human resources. She oversees staff recruitment, compensation and benefits, international and domestic mobility, staff development, etc. Her office works very closely with the academic units and faculty to provide necessary support from HR. Under Pauline’s leadership, the DKU HR Office was awarded the Outstanding Office in Kunshan, and the university was awarded as Harmonious Labor Relations Employer in Kunshan.

Prior to joining Duke Kunshan University, Pauline had held HR leader positions at Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, another joint venture university, from 2007 to 2012. She joined in its startup period and helped build and lead teams in the Human Resources Office. Before that, Pauline served as Human Resources Supervisor for Brady Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd, a US wholly invested company in Suzhou Industrial Park.

Pauline received a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from Hehai University. She is a member of the American Chamber Shanghai and is active in its human resources association.

Grace Ma

Senior Director of Audit and Internal Compliance

Grace Ma joined Duke Kunshan University in October 2016. She is the Senior Director of Audit and Internal Compliance, responsible for helping DKU accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined and collaborative approach to monitor and improve risk and control environment. She is also responsible for providing oversight on significant institutional projects, enrollment, and compliance programs, to ensure the compliance across the university meets the effectiveness requirements of relevant laws and regulations.

Throughout her career, Grace has accumulated rich experience and practice in corporate finance, auditing, compliance and risk management in various industries and listed companies, such as KPMG, China Resources, Siemens, GCL and Rogers.

Grace earned her bachelor’s degree in financial management from Renmin University of China and her master’s from the Business School of the University of Manchester.

Natacha Lu

Senior Director of Legal and Compliance Affairs

Natacha Lu joined Duke Kunshan University in November 2022 as senior director of legal and compliance affairs. In this role, she oversees a wide range of legal and external compliance matters related to the university. Her office works closely with academic units, faculty, supporting offices, staff, and university stakeholders to provide in-depth legal advice and consultation in relation to contracts, policies and procedures, intellectual property and dispute resolution, as well as supervising compliance with China’s higher education framework.

She started her career in charge of legal affairs at Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited, a Chinese state-owned conglomerate based in Macau. She also worked for Lafarge Shui On Cement Co., Ltd. in Beijing, Lafarge S.A. in Paris and Michelin (China) Investment Co., Ltd., in Shanghai, overseeing legal and compliance matters covering business operations, cross-border transactions, foreign direct investment, and mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Duke Kunshan University, Natacha was director of legal, compliance and government relations at Otis Elevators (China) Investment Holding Company Limited.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Soochow University School of Law and a master’s degree in jurisprudence from Peking University Law School.

Gary Guang Li, Ph.D.

Senior Director of Information Technology

Gary Li joined Duke Kunshan University in September 2024 as Senior Director of Information Technology. His main responsibilities include aligning the IT organization to support DKU’s needs strategically and serving the university stakeholders and its partners efficiently and effectively. Before joining DKU, Gary worked at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, as Assistant Director of Technical Services, Director of Enterprise Technologies, and Director of Infrastructure Platform and Services.

Gary received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University in 1986 and 1989, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1997.

Lingling Wang, Ed.D.

Registrar and Dean of Academic Services

Lingling Wang is the Registrar and Dean of Academic Services at Duke Kunshan University, where she oversees the operations of the Registrar’s Office and provides leadership in academic services. Her role ensures smooth support for undergraduate students in areas such as academic advising, academic policy management, and addressing student petitions and appeals. She also plays a critical role in overseeing the Undergraduate Bulletin, and ensuring compliance with the accreditation standards set by the Jiangsu Department of Education and the Ministry of Education in China.

Lingling’s expertise spans both the administrative and academic realms, drawing on over a decade of experience in joint-venture university settings. Since joining DKU in 2012, she has played an important role in the operation of the Global Learning Semester program. Her subsequent experience in the Registrar’s Office has equipped her with extensive expertise in managing student cases, overseeing academic policies, and ensuring smooth operations.

Lingling received her Bachelor’s degree in Business English from Nanjing Normal University, a Master’s degree in Simultaneous Interpretation from Beijing Foreign Studies University, and a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California.

Kai Huang, Ph.D.

Dean of Research and Lab Infrastructure

Dr. Kai Huang is the Dean of Research and Lab Infrastructure at Duke Kunshan University. He oversees several functional units, including the Research Support Office, Lab Management Office and Lab Safety Office, and provides effective support for faculty members to pursue their teaching and research activities.

Dr. Huang is a soft matter physicist with a research interest in understanding, predicting and eventually controlling the collective behavior of particulate materials through laboratory experiments, numerical and analytical approaches, in order to shed light on widespread applications in civil and process engineering, geoscience and other areas. He is also interested in the acoustical design of traditional European and Chinese opera theaters.

Huang has a B.Sc. in electronic engineering and a Ph.D. in physical acoustics from Nanjing University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organization, before joining the University of Bayreuth as a group leader and lecturer for both undergraduate and graduate level courses. His research activity was funded by German Research Foundation, Sino-German Center for Research Promotion, and the State of Bavaria. In 2014, he obtained habilitation in physics, a scientific and pedagogic qualification for supervising PhD students independently in Bavaria, Germany.

Alan Matthew MacCharles, DBA

Senior Director of Executive Education and Lifelong Learning

Alan Matthew MacCharles joined Duke Kunshan University in November 2024 as Senior Director of Executive Education and Lifelong Learning. In this role, he supports program design for corporate clients, ensures the appropriate faculty are involved in delivery and ensures client objectives are met and expectations exceeded.

Prior to joining DKU, he had a career spanning almost 28 years with Deloitte in Canada, the United Kingdom and China. The last 18 years were in China, where he was a Strategy and M&A partner. He specialized in advising clients on the appropriate responses to geopolitical (and other) issues and joint venture formation.

Alan has a BA from the University of Waterloo, an MBA from London Business School (2001) and a DBA from Cranfield University (2022).

He is the co-author of Unlocking International Joint Ventures: Keys to Formation Success through Cultural, Commercial, and Legal Decision-Making, written with Mark Schaub, a lawyer at King & Wood through Wiley. The book provides a mix of academic research, practical ‘how-to’ guides and case studies. He has also published a case study on hiring advisors through Ivey Publishing with Paul Beamish and Mark Schaub (case W27041), which is available in English, Mandarin and Spanish.

Alan has been an active contributor to the discussion on corporate responses with articles in Fortune and the Shanghai American Chamber Magazine (co-written with Dr. Ken Dewoskin) and through contributions to major media outlets.

Wei (Robin) Wang

Senior Director of Chancellors' Office

Wei (Robin) Wang serves as the Senior Director of the Chancellors’ Office at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). He reports directly to the Executive Vice Chancellor and supports all Chancellors. In this role, Robin provides high-level administrative support to the Chancellors. He leads, manages, and coaches the efficient team within the Chancellors’ Office and International Relations. Robin is responsible for formulating new university priorities, identifying significant challenges, developing policy recommendations and necessary actions, and spearheading international short-term programs and cross-border lifelong learning initiatives aimed at driving revenue growth. He steers the operational and strategic agenda of the Chancellors. This involves preparing topics for key meetings and conducting post-meeting follow-ups to ensure the implementation of approved decisions. Additionally, he oversees the initiation and completion of specific projects and tasks assigned by the Chancellors.

Robin Wang has spent almost 8 years in key managerial positions at DKU, including the head of International Relations from 2017 to 2023 and Director of the Chancellors’ Office from 2023 to 2025. Before joining DKU, Robin worked for the International Office of Sichuan University for 7 years. In 2015, he received a certificate as a qualified diplomatic officer from the National Academy of Education Administration. Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Cultures from Central China Normal University and a Master of Education from the University of Malaya.

Mengjie Zou

University Librarian

Mengjie Zou serves as the University Librarian at Duke Kunshan University (DKU), where she leads the library’s strategic planning and operations. She works closely with Duke University Libraries to provide high-quality user services, comprehensive support for teaching and research, and multi-format collections that align with academic and research priorities. She also responds to emerging interdisciplinary and technological needs, preserves the university’s history and regional heritage materials, and promotes open access and scholarly communication.

Mengjie joined DKU in 2014 as its first library staff member, playing a key role in the library’s establishment and early development. She later served as Research and Instruction Librarian, leading and coordinating information literacy instruction, supporting research teams across campus in conducting evidence-based reviews, and serving as a library liaison for multiple academic programs. In early 2025, she was appointed Interim University Librarian before formally assuming the role. Her research interests include copyright literacy, evidence synthesis, and AI-driven research methodologies. She is also an active member of several international professional library associations.

Prior to joining DKU, Mengjie served at the University of Pittsburgh Library and Duke University Libraries. She holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences and a Certificate in Advanced Asian Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Information Management and Information Systems from South China Normal University.