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OUR STORY begins in spring 2018, four months before Duke Kunshan University welcomed its first student-athletes in the inaugural undergraduate Class of 2022. Led by program director Zarko Krkeljas, DKU Athletics was tasked with designing an entirely new program that could cater to a highly selective, international cohort of students.
The preparations laid the groundwork for an extremely successful first year: Although comprising just 250 scholars, the Class of 2022 established 14 sports and recreation clubs, with more than 50 percent participation. The university also formed varsity teams in popular sports including badminton, soccer, table tennis, and basketball.
With the bar set high, over the past four years, staff and students have together established new traditions and built DKU Athletics into an innovative program that promotes healthy lifestyles, and the importance of grit, honesty, determination and teamwork.
OUR MISSION is to foster a culture in which students can discover the values cultivated through sport, health and wellness, to guide them on their path to personal and professional success.
Diversity is a cornerstone of the Duke Kunshan University experience, and as such, DKU Athletics is committed to offering a wide range of sports and recreational programs so that students have equal opportunity to challenge themselves and explore their intellectual and athletic potential.
We strive to demonstrate to every student-athlete their responsibility in building a strong, vibrant community bound by shared values and respect. Our students are expected to lead through example, demonstrating integrity and moral character at all times.
OUR FUTURE is bright. DKU Athletics is excited to move into a state-of-the art sports center in 2022, part of the university’s ongoing campus expansion project. The advanced facilities will include a fitness center, swimming pool, dance and yoga studios, a climbing wall, and multipurpose courts.
We are looking forward to hosting more competitions, tournaments and other events featuring talented student-athletes from Duke Kunshan University and from universities across China and the world.
