Featured Faculty: Hua Wang
Dr. Hua Wang, Lecturer in Politics at the University of Glasgow and a core member of the Scottish Centre for China Research, joined Duke Kunshan University in Fall 2025 as the Scholar in Residence at the Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC). Over the course of her residency, she has actively participated in […]
Navigating Corporate Social Advocacy: Strategic, Ethical, and Cultural Insights from Dr. Hao Xu
By Violet Nguyen, Class of 2028 On November 25, 2025, the Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC) and the Division of Social Sciences hosted Dr. Hao Xu, Assistant Professor in Media and Communications at the University of Melbourne, for an engaging research talk on corporate social advocacy (CSA). Drawing on empirical studies conducted […]
How Development Banking Works: Sidharth Kamani on the Essential Role of Multilateral Development Banks
By Zihan Chen, Class of 2026 On November 22, 2025, the Center for the Study of Contemporary China welcomed Sidharth Kamani, a Financial Risk Manager and a risk specialist at the New Development Bank (NDB), a multilateral development bank founded by the BRICS countries. Mr. Kamani brought his expertise from roles at Goldman Sachs and […]
Governing Digital China: Insights from Professors Daniela Stockmann and Ting Luo
By Violet Nguyen, Class of 2028 On November 17, 2025, the CSCC Digital Technology and Society hosted Professor Daniela Stockmann from the Hertie School and Professor Ting Luo from the University of Birmingham for an illuminating talk on their new book, Governing Digital China. Their presentation offered a fresh perspective on China’s digital governance by […]
Featured Faculty: Fangsheng Zhu
By Violet Nguyen, Class of 2028 In China, few social arenas change as quickly and dramatically as education. Over the past decade, new university models have emerged, digital learning companies have risen and fallen, and national reforms have reshaped how millions of families navigate academic competition. It is within this landscape that Prof. Fangsheng Zhu, […]
交集｜7 Week Sucks? – The Conversation Has Begun
This article is reposted from the Duke Kunshan University Language and Culture Center Official WeChat Account. Click to read the original article. Big Idea This article covers Duke Kunshan University students’ frustrations with the compressed 7-week semester model. Driven by the “7-Week Sucks!” campaign, students and some faculty argue the system is exhausting, increases stress, and […]
Digital Mobilization and State Response: Valerie Li on Mass Petitioning in China
Written by Zihan Chen, Class of 2026 | Edited by Chi Zhang On November 7, 2025, the CSCC Governing China Cluster hosted Valerie Li from Pennsylvania State University for an engaging online talk on mass petitioning in China. Builing upon the literature on digital activism, she shared insights from her research on citizen grievances and […]
Stepping into Her Story: Exploring the Lives of Migrant Women through Game Theater
Written by Zihan Chen, Class of 2026; Edited by Chi Zhang & Harper Chen “What does it mean to live, strive, and dream as a rural woman on the move?” On November 1-2, 2025, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative (InE), in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC), hosted The Life […]
Scholar Explores Wanghong as a Lens on Globalizing China
On Monday, October 20th, the CSCC and Division of Social Sciences hosted a thought-provoking talk by Dr. Carwyn Morris, Senior Lecturer in Digital Society and Geography at SOAS University of London. Titled “Wanghong as a Method for Understanding a Globalising China,” the talk delved into the concept of Wanghong—internet fame—viewing it as a critical tool to […]
Event Report on “When Mountains and Waters Speak: Religion, Ritual, and Environmental Care on the Tibetan Plateau”
By Zihan Chen, Class of 2026 On October 21, 2025, the Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC) hosted Dr. Tenzin Jinba from the National University of Singapore for a thought-provoking talk that bridged religious studies, environmental studies, and anthropology. Bringing the audience’s attention to the Tibet Plateau, Dr. Jinba combined cross-disciplinary studies to […]