On September 2nd, Wuhan University announced that the Chinese Ministry of Education approved Duke Kunshan University. Jointly created by WHU, Duke University and the Kunshan Municipal People's Government, Duke Kunshan University is a non-profit institution with an independent corporate capacity.

By adapting Duke’s curriculum system and interdisciplinary education models along with WHU’s leading experts and facilities, Duke Kunshan University aims to be a cutting-edge university with outstanding faculty, scientific research and development centers.

Duke Kunshan University will adopt a modern administrative system, including a president supervised by a college board. Courses will be taught by professors from Duke, WHU and other prestigious universities in China.

Located in  Kunshan’s Yangcheng Lake science and technology park, near Shanghai, the campus of  Duke Kunshan University is quite large, covering an area of 133 hectares. The whole project will be undertaken in three phases and the first phase of construction will be completed by the summer of 2013.

The newly established Duke Kunshan University will offer master degree programs and undergraduate training programs. It will also seek cooperation with research centers inside WHU and Duke as well as other enterprises in order to successfully develop Duke Kunshan University as a comprehensive and research university.

Established in 1838, Duke University is regarded as the “Harvard of the South.”  Located in North Carolina, it is ranked 9th in the recent U. S. News & World Report college rankings. With a strong collaborative foundation, WHU and Duke University have agreed on some joint projects and developed some substantial exchange programs for students and faculty.