KUNSHAN, CHINA — Jessica B. Sandberg, the director of international admissions at Temple University in the United States, has been appointed dean of enrollment at Duke Kunshan University, Executive Vice Chancellor Denis Simon announced today.
Sandberg will begin her role on September 1st, and will oversee all recruitment, admissions and financial aid activities at Duke Kunshan, said Simon.
Sandberg will work with senior leaders to map out China and international recruitment strategies; establish and improve admissions review criteria and procedures to ensure fair and equitable treatment and assessment of all applicants; and establish criteria for allocating financial aid and merit awards, among other tasks.
At Temple, Sandberg established the university’s first international admissions office in 2012 and nearly doubled international student intake in her first four years.
‘I decided to join Duke Kunshan University,’ said Sandberg, ‘because of its uniquely innovative and global nature. The joint venture concept intrigued me from the outset. It places students in the two largest economies in the world; pairing the strengths and stature of Duke University with a cutting edge curriculum. I am honored to join an institution that will clearly lead liberal arts education into the 21st century.’
With more than 15 years of experience in international education, Sandberg has focused her career on building diverse, friendly and safe environments for international students. In 2017, she transformed the ‘#YouAreWelcomeHere’hashtag into a national campaign for U.S. higher education, aiming to let prospective international students know that the United States remains an open and hospitable place for students from across the world. Because of her role in pioneering the movement, Sandberg made the Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2017 Influence List.
Sandberg also served as the editor of the Guide to International Student Recruitment (3rd edition) by NAFSA, the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. This new edition of NAFSA’s best-selling book, published in 2017, focuses on various aspects of recruiting, including assessing an institution’s readiness to recruit international students, building human resource capacity for international recruitment, and creating an international recruitment plan.
‘We are very fortunate to have attracted a seasoned professional like Jessica,’ said Simon. ‘Her credentials are impeccable. My sense is that she will play a truly strategic role in enhancing our ability to recruit, enroll and retain top tier students from China and around the world.’
Sandberg earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at Moravian College in 1998 and her master’s degree in international relations at the University of Kent in 2007.
