Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Division of Arts and Humanities at Duke Kunshan University. When I joined DKU in 2018 as part of the undergraduate program’s first faculty cohort, I knew I would find an adventurous group of colleagues and students. As we worked together to build a new university, we developed a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose that has made the Division of Arts and Humanities an extraordinary intellectual community. Whether you are in search of a major to make a living or looking for inspiration about what makes life worth living, our majors and courses have something for you.

Our talented, diverse, and committed faculty provide every undergraduate student with a boutique experience. We offer interdisciplinary, small seminar instruction across the arts and humanities, drawing on the Division’s stellar track record of award-winning teaching, ground-breaking research, and pioneering creative practice. Faculty expertise spans the fields of literature, history, philosophy, religious studies, arts and media, and computation and design.

Students in the Division of Arts and Humanities work closely with faculty on original research and artistic projects throughout their undergraduate years. The majority of our graduates pursue further studies, earning master’s and doctoral degrees at world-leading institutions such as Duke, Harvard, Yale, Penn, Tufts, McGill, Tsinghua, Peking, UCLA, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Parsons School of Design. Other graduates have begun careers in teaching, digital and interactive media, advertizing, film, and real estate development, among other fields.

The Arts and Humanities Division’s core mission is also supported by a talented team of staff. Each day, they assist with a huge array of student club activities, talks, seminars, conferences, film screenings, creative workshops, and other events. Along with faculty, they help deliver a top-quality liberal arts education.

I look forward to working with you at DKU. 

Zach Fredman                                                                                                                                                                     

Chair, Division of Arts and Humanities