China Daily Global Edition (USA)
LIVING HIS CHINESE DREAM AND PASSION
DA winner of China’s most prestigious award for foreigners, Denis Simon has dedicated his career to forging stronger US-Sino ties through education enis Simon’s biggest dream when he was a young adult was taking a trip to China, a place he saw as ancient and mysterious.
What was so fascinating about China then, he said, was Chairman Mao Zedong’s idea of building a classless society.
“I thought China might represent an alternative model of development,” he recalled.
Such was his interest in China that he spared no effort in attempting to learn more about Chinese culture by signing up for every possible course that was related to the country during his time in the State University of New York. From Chinese art to philosophy to literature and history, Simon immersed himself in this foreign culture.
Even after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies, Simon went on to do a master’s degree in the same field, expanding his knowledge of China. He then did a PhD in political science at the University of California at Berkeley.
His first foray into China finally came in 1981 when he visited Shenzhen and Shanghai as part of a research project. Today, decades after first arriving in the country, Simon is living his dream as the executive vice-chancellor of the Duke Kunshan University (DKU), a Sino-US venture between Duke University and Wuhan University located in Jiangsu province. He was appointed to the position three years ago.
Simon has since his arrival in China devoted his career to building bridges between his adopted and home countries. Some of his accomplishments include serving as a senior adviser to the US Patent and Trademark Office on technology and innovation matters related to China as well as being a member of the American Experts Group within the US-China Innovation Dialogue organized by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2006, the US academician received the National Friendship Award from the then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. The award is the nation’s highest form of recognition for a foreigner.
Winning the award has not made Simon complacent but strengthened his resolve to bolster ties between the two countries. In 2008, when he was working at the State University of New York, Simon created a program to take 150 Chinese university students whose studies were disrupted by the Wenchuan earthquake to the United States for a year. Students did not have to pay a cent for their studies.
Since becoming the executive vice-chancellor of DKU, Simon has continued to build bridges between China and the US.
For example, the university offers a special course that introduces students to Chinese history as well as teaches them about the world’s interaction with China. In this role, Simon has also helped to modify the university’s curriculum to better fit the learning style of the millennial generation.
“China’s impact on global culture, fashion, literature and movies have been growing over the last 20 and 30 years. This unique course is designed to reflect the views of those living inside and outside of China, giving students a holistic perspective of the country,” said Simon.
However, he said that launching the undergraduate program this fall is what he considers to be the university’s greatest achievement, noting that there was only a graduate program when DKU started four years ago.
More than 260 students, comprising more than 80 international students and 175 Chinese students, will be a part of the first undergraduate cohort. The university expects to receive an average of 500 students, of which more than 300 would be Chinese, per cohort in four years.
Simon said DKU’s success will encourage more US educational institutes to consider entering the country. He also noted that such joint venture universities — there are nine of them in China — would also spur their local peers to undergo reforms and improve.
“China’s higher education system was clearly still recovering from the damage wrought by the “cultural revolution” (1966-76) when I arrived in 1981. Universities lacked books and journals, lab equipment, computers, and qualified faculty members,” he recalled.
“However, there has been a dramatic change over the decades. Local universities now have more well-trained PhDs, modern labs and equipment, advanced IT infrastructures, and well-stocked libraries with access to materials from all over the world.”
Looking back at the past 40 years of his career which he had spent trying to better understand the trends and developments in China, Simon said he is delighted to have received recognition for his knowledge of the economy, politics, and the science and technology systems in the country.
Reminiscing about the time he first set foot in China also brings about a sense of wonder for the US citizen.
“The difference between Shanghai of the past and the city today is like day and night. It is simply amazing. Pudong back then was just a massive piece of empty land,” said Simon.
“This just goes to show that in China, if there is a will, there is a way. I think Shanghai’s transformation represents the determination and the commitment of the Chinese people to do some amazing things in a relatively short period of time.”
The difference between Shanghai of the past and the city today is like day and night. It is simply amazing.”
executive vicechancellor of the Duke Kunshan University