In a significant step towards strengthening academic collaboration, CELE hosted a delegation from Duke Kunshan University’s (DKU) Language and Culture Center (LCC) for a a campus visit to UNNC on Friday 17th October 2025.
The visit featured discussions on curriculum development, professional development and the role of AI in language education.
Proceedings were led by Robert Smith, Head of CELE, and Prof. Li Jinhua, Interim Director of DKU's LCC, who delivered opening remarks. Both leaders emphasised the shared mission of their centres in delivering world-class language education and the potential for dialogue and opportunities for collaboration.
The core of the visit consisted of a series of parallel meetings, allowing both institutions to discuss specific areas of practice. These sessions fostered a vibrant exchange of ideas and methodologies. In one session, teams led by CELE’s Shayna Kozuch and DKU’s Joseph Davies exploring Postgraduate EAP, alongside discussions on research collaborations between John Dourneen from CELE and DKU’s Weng Zhenjie. There were also concurrent UG EAP and CPD meetings - Jeanne O’Connell, David Anstey and Garrett Durkee from CELE, with Kevin Sprague and Zhang Tong from DKU, provided a platform to compare teaching approaches and CPD support strategies. A third session on Insessional Support was led by the WritingLab's Marshall Stauffer with DKU counterpart Kristen Hiller. The visit concluded with closing remarks, a group photograph in front of Trent and a short campus and library tour.
By sharing expertise and aligning on future challenges such as AI integration, the institutions have laid a robust foundation for continued collaboration, ultimately aiming to enhance the academic and linguistic success of their students.
The visit solidified and renewed working relationships between DKU LCC and CELE, and we hope to have a delegation of CELE staff visit DKU in early 2026.