Response to "DKU delayed again" and "A new level of uncertainty"

The Feb. 8 article (“DKU delayed again”) and editorial (“A new level of uncertainty”) on Duke Kunshan University raised some important issues about the project. DKU is a partnership between Duke University, Wuhan University and the city of Kunshan to build a world-class university. This is an ambitious and complex project that has brought together academic, administrative and construction teams from China and the United States to create a brand new campus from the ground up, primarily funded by the city of Kunshan. Both of us have spent considerable time in Kunshan over the past few months, and we can attest to the importance city leaders give to this project, as well as to the level of attention DKU receives at Duke—from the senior levels of the administration to faculty to students and The Chronicle. What is notable is not that there have been delays or misunderstandings over construction issues, but that the three sponsors of DKU are working together in common purpose to move this project forward. As the construction moves toward its final stages, the partners have put in place new processes and personnel to insure that the finished buildings will be widely acclaimed and an excellent home for world class academic programs. Duke faculty are also actively engaged in the academic planning for DKU with a level of innovation and enthusiasm that will help DKU fulfill its role as a model for American as well as Chinese higher education.

Mary Brown Bullock, Executive vice chancellor, Duke Kunshan University

Nora Bynum, Vice provost for Duke Kunshan University and China initiatives