As China grows, Duke looks to build bridges

It is the most populous nation in the world. Its gross domestic product is second only to that of the United States, and its economy is growing at a faster rate.

As the People's Republic of China sits perched on the verge of becoming the next global superpower, Duke officials are realizing the need for greater connections between the Asian giant and the University.

Some officials, however, say the University's efforts are fragmented and even half-hearted.

"We do not yet have a coordinated strategy for China, but we are exploring how to have one," said Gilbert Merkx, vice provost for international affairs.

In recent years, China has become the focus of many of the University's internationalization efforts, including admissions outreach for undergraduate and graduate programs, hiring faculty who specialize in Chinese studies and developing collaborations between the institution known for its Blue Devil and the country known for its Red Dragon.

But there is more to be done.

"Given the explosive growth of the Chinese economy and the rapid development of its education system, it's not surprising that many Duke schools are actively involved there," President Richard Brodhead said. "I expect many more collaborations in the near future."

 

"Don't overestimate the achievement of China," Shi said. "China is a developing country trying to catch up with a developed country. The general level of economic development has improved a lot, but at the same time there are problems to be resolved."

Although Shi downplays China's current status in the world, other officials, such as Bertrand Guillotin, director of the international center in the Fuqua School of Business, believe China's rapid growth is reason enough for Duke to be interested in the Asian giant. "It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," Guillotin said about China becoming the world's next superpower.

 

A historic relationship

The University's academic ties to China are not as strong as some officials deem necessary for a global institution, but Duke's historical relationship with the Asian nation dates back to 1881, when the first international student enrolled in Trinity College.

Yao-ju "Charlie" Soong of Weichau, China, gained admission to the school with the help of Methodist missionaries and the college's president Braxton Craven. Later, Soong's three daughters married prominent figures in modern Chinese history: Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of Taiwan; Sun Yat-sen, founding father of the People's Republic of China; and H. H. Kung, China's former finance minister.

In 1890, the Duke family exported the first cigarettes to China and later formed the British American Tobacco Company, which sold 80 billion cigarettes to China in 1928 alone. "Duke has a tobacco linkage with China, but there has never been a history of academic relationships with China," said Ralph Litzinger, director of the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute. "We have lagged behind historically, and what we're trying to do now is catch up."

In 1972, President Richard Nixon, Law '37, arrived in China and met with Premier Chou En-lai and Chairman Mao Tse-tung to bridge U.S.-China relations.

Nixon later helped bring several Chinese international students to Duke's School of Law over the next decade. Because of the two countries' tense relationship at the time, historians note this as a progressive feat. "Duke has a long history to relate to China. But compared to other universities, we probably need to do more and increase understanding of China," Shi said. "We need to build up our reputation."

 

A step behind

The University only began to make its presence known in China in recent years. Many professors said Duke lags far behind its Ivy-League peers in its efforts to establish connections. Ivy League universities hold a historical advantage in globalization over Duke, Litzinger added. For instance, Harvard University and Yale University have been fostering Chinese programs at their schools since the 1920s.

"We need to learn more about China," said Kang Liu, professor in the Department of Asian and African Languages and Literature. "The thing is we have tremendous resources at Duke, we have tremendous interest at Duke, but we do have some problems to address-how we're going to envision more positive, more constructive ways to expand our quality in order to put us on par with our peers."

Professors said faculty specializing in Chinese studies help define the approach the University needs to take in order to come up to par with its peers.

"The more we know about China the more effective we can be at identifying the correct kinds of programs and exchanges we need to develop," Litzinger said.

Although administrators have stressed the importance of promoting Duke in China, some officials are calling for more institutional changes at the University.

"Internationalization has to involve not just paying close attention to China-not just sending administration and alumni on tours-but we need to expand and develop the number of faculty [specializing] on China," Litzinger said. "This absolutely has to happen if we want to keep up with our peer institutions."

 

Moving forward

Recognizing the need to establish ties with China, the University has set the ball rolling for catching up to other schools with more established links to Chinese institutions. "China's poised to become a major world power in many senses, and it will be important for Duke," Provost Peter Lange said. "What we would like to do is increase the pace at which we are becoming known."

One initiative currently underway is the Duke University Medical Center's collaboration with administrators from Peiking University in Beijing to coordinate medical school curriculums.

"We're going to learn as much from them as they are going to learn from us," said Robert Taber, vice chancellor for DUMC. "These are very impressive people who have been under-resourced."

China has also come to Duke. In the 2004-2005 academic year, 241 students from China studied at Duke, according to data from the International House. "China is a country with very important intellectual resources," Merkx said. "We are interested in ties with them and also in attracting students from China."

Thirty Chinese governmental officials are studying public policy at the Sanford Institute of Public Policy. Moreover, the Asian Pacific Studies Institute recently hosted a major conference on media in modern China.

With such efforts underway, interest in developing more connections between Duke and China seems unlikely to wane.

"When I met the heads of the leading Chinese universities in Singapore last June, they were very eager to know the president of Duke," Brodhead said.