Dr. Scott MacEachern is the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology at Duke Kunshan University. As the university’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. MacEachern works closely with the Chancellors to provide strategic academic leadership and to ensure the highest quality in educational programs and research activities. He directs all academic and related units supporting the teaching and research mission, and is responsible for oversight of academic policies and procedures. He has primary responsibility for recruitment of world-class faculty, faculty development and retention, and faculty appointment, promotion and tenure

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. His archaeological research focuses on the southern Lake Chad Basin of Central Africa, and his main research interests are in the origins of ancient Africa states, cultural heritage management, and archaeogenetics.  

Through Duke Kunshan University’s inquiry-based methods of instruction, students will become comfortable approaching complex problems and using their acquired knowledge and experiences to engage deeply with the world, working to find creative and meaningful solutions to modern challenges.

Duke Kunshan’s graduate and undergraduate degree programs will challenge students to understand the broader context of their fields of study and prepare them for challenging careers in a global setting. Duke Kunshan’s graduate and undergraduate degree programs lead to Duke University degrees.

English is the official language of instruction at Duke Kunshan University. 

Majors at Duke Kunshan have interdisciplinary and disciplinary components, giving students the opportunity to customize their studies. Upon graduation, students receive a U.S. degree from Duke University and a Chinese degree from Duke Kunshan University. Students will declare their majors in their second year. For more information, visit dukekunshan.edu.cn/majors

Students can switch majors. However, they are not encouraged to switch too late, as this may make it difficult to meet the degree requirements in four years. Students need to complete their degree requirements within six years.

Duke Kunshan University students successfully completing the course of study required by Duke Kunshan University and Duke University will be conferred both a Duke Kunshan University graduation certificate and diploma officially approved by the MOE as well as a diploma from Duke University indicating that the degree has been granted in accordance with the requirements of Duke Kunshan University and Duke University (Duke University and its degrees are accredited by SACSCOC).  Students will be alumni of both institutions. 

A liberal arts education relies not on a formula for choosing and combining courses but on a culture of pedagogy that is immersive and dynamic, in which teachers and students work closely together to approach open questions, articulate hypotheses, test out ideas and challenge one another. This approach to education builds critical and problem-solving skills, simultaneously conferring a broad base of knowledge, and fostering the ability to question that knowledge and apply it flexibly.

A liberal arts education provides students with knowledge and skills that shape their lives, enhance their roles as citizens and increase their competitiveness for jobs. It develops their creativity and leadership and is deeply cross-cultural in its orientation, giving all participants the ongoing experience of learning to see from multiple points of view and to work together across cultural boundaries — a crucial skill for the future.

To learn more about the curriculum, visit: https://www.dukekunshan.edu.cn/about/the-liberal-arts-in-the-21st-century/

The general academic calendar is similar to that of Duke University. The fall semester starts in late August and ends in the middle of December. The spring semester starts in early January and ends around May 15. The spring break week will coincide with the Chinese Spring Festival holiday week. The one-week mini-term will take place between the two seven-week sessions in the spring term.

Please click here to see the academic calendars at Duke Kunshan University.