Duke Kunshan University welcomes its third cohort of undergraduate students on Aug 26, 2020. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Class of 2024 comprises students from 31 countries. This year marks the first time Duke Kunshan has students from Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Dominica, Finland, Guatemala, Kenya, Iran, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Spain.

As some international students and faculty members will not be able to return to campus this fall because of travel restrictions, Duke Kunshan has designed a flexible teaching strategy, allowing undergraduates to undergo lessons in physical and virtual classrooms.

During the convocation, Class of 2024 representative Giulia de Cristofaro made a remark about the "leap of faith" that her classmates have taken in choosing Duke Kunshan amid the uncertainties and delays experienced over the past few months.

"In this small yet vibrant community, I've found a place I'd like to consider home, with people who I hope one day will become my big, mixed family," said the Brazilian-Italian in a recorded video message.

"Deciding to join an internationally inclusive community and following a liberal arts curriculum is a reflection of the open-mindedness of the DKU community. I know each one of us is unique, and I'm certain that our differences will unite us."

Scott MacEachern, vice chancellor of academic affairs, reflected on the Chinese people's determined response to COVID-19 as well as how the pandemic highlights the complex challenges faced by the global community.

"COVID-19 is not merely a biological phenomenon. It engages with questions of public health, environmental policy, climate change, transportation infrastructure and international relations. It illustrates the necessity of social solidarity and good governance, both within and between societies around the world," he said.

Duke Kunshan's comprehensive liberal arts education looks across boundaries between disciplines to see the common themes in both intellectual and real-world questions, MacEachern added.

"And it's precisely this kind of approach that is essential when dealing with issues like the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.