Duke Kunshan University international students are expected to be on-campus in China in the spring, according to a Monday email sent to DKU students and parents.
The recent changes to China’s visa and entry policies spurred this development, according to the email sent from DKU’s Office of Academic Affairs. All first-years and sophomores are required to return to China. Exceptions are permitted for juniors who have not had the opportunity to spend a semester at Duke, along with seniors currently in Durham who plan to study at Duke in the spring.
“While fully recognizing the complexity of entering China, we are determined to bring all DKU students together to learn in-person on the DKU campus and we have the resources necessary to support the process,” the email stated.
Currently, only juniors and seniors are studying abroad at Duke’s Durham campus, while sophomores and first-years are studying at DKU’s global site in Barcelona. In June, some DKU international students had received approval to return to China for this fall.
DKU’s Barcelona program will not be offered in the spring “in the interest of bringing [DKU’s] community back together” and due to its significant costs and logistics, according to an FAQ attached to the Monday email.
Students may request an exemption for returning to DKU in the spring on the basis of financial hardship, physical or mental health or other individual circumstances, according to the FAQ. However, exemptions will not allow for students to study at Duke, Barcelona or other study away sites.
DKU plans to resume normal academic operations next fall. Students who matriculate at DKU next fall will study in China for four years and may apply to study away for one semester during their junior year. DKU will no longer offer dual enrollment at Duke or remote/hybrid learning.
Guidelines for seniors
According to the email, seniors who are currently at Duke for the fall semester and have committed to studying at Duke for the spring may choose to remain enrolled at Duke, but “are strongly encouraged to withdraw without penalty and return to DKU.”
Seniors who are not currently at Duke’s Durham campus for the fall but planned on being at Duke for the spring term are now expected to be in China in the spring. They will be refunded deposits.
Guidelines for juniors, sophomores and first-years
Juniors who are completing a study away term this fall at Duke or elsewhere are expected to be in China in the spring, according to the email. Juniors who planned on being at Duke in the spring will be refunded deposits.
Juniors who are not completing a study away term this fall may study away at Duke or elsewhere for the spring, and are expected to be in China next fall.
All sophomores and first-years are expected to be in China in the spring. Sophomores may apply to study away at Duke or elsewhere for one semester in the 2023-2024 academic year.
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Katie Tan is a Trinity senior and digital strategy director of The Chronicle's 119th volume. She was previously managing editor for Volume 118.