The DKU Debate and the Future of Global Education: An Investigation

On May 5th, 2025, eighty-three Duke students arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport for a 10-day immersion program in China’s Jiangsu Province (one of our writers, Alejandro Nina Duran, participated in this trip). Staff members from Duke Kunshan University (DKU) introduced the students to China’s 4,000-year-old history, offering a glimpse into the classical art of Kunshan and the rich cultural heritage of Beijing. Students were treated to a smorgasbord of traditional Chinese foods and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like climbing the Great Wall and exploring Beijing’s LED cityscape. Everything seemed to be going as planned. So far, so good. 

And then came the controversy. Former Duke student Jacqueline Cole, who participated in the DKU trip the year prior, wrote a scathing op-ed alleging that the trip “paraded” American students as “Part of China’s PR Campaign.” 

On May 15th, as dozens of Duke students departed Beijing International Airport for home, House Republicans John Moolenar and Tim Walberg penned a letter to Duke University President Vincent Price, urging the closure of DKU and alleging a “direct pipeline between U.S. innovation and China’s military-industrial complex.”