Center for the Study of Contemporary China
当代中国研究中心

The China Center within China


Upcoming Events

04-28
CSCC End-of-Semester Celebration and Awards Ceremony
04-27
AI & Copyright Oral Arguments | 3rd Sino-International Moot Court
04-24
Trends in Cyber Violence in China and the World
04-23
The Unfinished Legacy: How Beijing's Gender Quotas Reshaped Women's Political Representation in China
04-22
Lie-Flat Environmentalism in a Burning World

Featured Faculty

Keping Wu

Associate Professor of Anthropology, Duke Kunshan University

As an Associate Professor of Anthropology and one of the co-leads for the CSCC Meanings, Identities, and Communities Cluster at Duke Kunshan University, Keping Wu brings a rich perspective to her research on the intersections of religion, gender, urbanization, public good, ethnicity, and charisma. Her academic interests focus on the dynamics of boundary-crossing in relation to religious and ethnic identities against the backdrop of urbanization. In her teaching, Prof. Wu engages with topics such as the ethnography of China, understanding ethnic diversity, and the transformations in religious landscapes due to urban growth. Meanwhile, Prof. Wu has significantly contributed to her field through co-authored and edited publications that delve into the social dynamics of Chinese communities. One of her current projects, “Displacement and Its Discontents: Urbanization and Unruly Spirits in Contemporary China,” supported by the CSCC Faculty Research Product Grant, encapsulates her insights. This book, grounded in ethnographic studies from 2014 to 2019, investigates the repercussions of urban expansion in the Chefang Township area and its effects on local religious practices and community structures. Read More

Featured Student

Lingyi Shen

Class of 2025

Lingyi Shen is an Anthropology student set to graduate in May 2025. Over the past four years, she has worked closely with the CSCC. She served as a student coordinator for the Care and Gender Cluster and the N Aging and Care Initiative, helped organize and lead several CSCC events, and participated in multiple CSCC research/community projects.

Lingyi’s signature work project is an ethnographic study that delves into the lived experiences of older adults in China, specifically those who live with dementia in residential care facilities. The study probes into the subjective experiences of aging and how individuals with dementia strive to maintain their sense of self and identity amidst the cognitive decline. The methodology draws on narratives from institutionalized older adults with dementia, presenting their stories of self-negotiation, belonging, relationships, and their struggles in expressing subjectivity.

In this conversation, we delve deeper into Lingyi’s timely research, a topic of increasing relevance due to the demographic shifts happening in China and across the globe as populations age. Read More

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Address: No. 8 Duke Avenue, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China 215316

Phone Number: +86 512 36657053

Email: dku-cscc@dukekunshan.edu.cn