The 2,123 Duke University regular decision applicants accepted last month were not the only students to recently learn of their selection to the class of 2022 at a Duke-affiliated school.
Last week, 250 students from 47 different countries and regions were accepted to the inaugural undergraduate class of Duke Kunshan University. The admitted class will have until May 1 to respond to the offer and is expected to include more than 225 students—175 from the Chinese mainland and 50 from overseas, according to a press release.
“We are deeply impressed by both the Chinese and international students, whose academic performance and extracurricular achievements are outstanding,” said Denis Simon, executive vice chancellor at DKU, in the release. “This outstanding inaugural class will be pioneers over the next four years as we look to expand our innovative academic offerings and our lovely campus.”
The acceptance of the inaugural undergraduate class follows debate and subsequent approval of the degree program by Academic Council and the Board of Trustees in 2016.
As of March, DKU has hired 22 faculty members to teach undergraduate courses and received approval for 15 majors from the Chinese Ministry of Education.
Simon explained to The Chronicle in April 2017 that DKU graduates will still be considered Duke alumni.
“This is a four-year degree program that will award an undergraduate degree from Duke University and a second degree from Duke Kunshan University,” he said. “The first one is everything equivalent to a Duke degree, and the second one would be a degree that’s approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education."
Although only 250 students were accepted to the Class of 2022, DKU aims to eventually field classes of 500 students each.
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