Shanghai New York University was the country's first higher-education joint venture, opening in 2012. Liu Ying / Xinhua

Duke Kunshan University, a new joint venture in higher education between China and the United States, welcomed its first students on Aug 20, joining Shanghai New York University, which opened in 2012.

The university in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, was established by Duke University of Durham, North Carolina, and Wuhan University, Hubei province.

The university said it will blend liberal education with Chinese tradition in a new approach to elite higher education. It offers degree and non-degree academic programs for students from China and around the world.

DKU's master's programs in global health, medical physics and management studies have attracted 42 graduate students from 11 countries, including China, the US, Russia, Argentina, Kenya and Singapore.

Those taking the management studies course began their studies at Duke's US campus in July and will arrive in Kunshan in January.

They will receive degrees from Duke upon the successful completion of their programs.

"The convocation is a great example of how we are working together with our students and faculty to shape the traditions and culture of a global learning community," said Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Brown Bullock.

"Together, we look forward to pioneering a new model for the future of global higher education."

The DKU undergraduate global learning semester program has welcomed 62 undergraduate students from 22 different universities and with 29 different major backgrounds.

The program facilitates learning across disciplines and the exploration of a broad range of areas of study - courses in the first session of the fall semester include topics in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and language studies.

Meanwhile, another China-US venture, Shanghai New York University - which was established jointly by New York University in the US and East China Normal University in Shanghai - also welcomed its freshmen this month.

They are moving into the new campus in the Lujiazui area of Shanghai.

Unlike most traditional universities in China, the school occupies a single, 15-story building similar to New York University's campus in Manhattan.

It is equipped with all the facilities expected of a modern university, such as a cafe, library, study rooms and gyms.

"We want to create a well-knit and harmonious study community for students and teachers," said Chancellor Yu Lizhong.

The university has enrolled 151 students from the country's 23 provinces and cities plus 143 international students from 44 countries.

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