Report on the Launch of Third Space Lab

By Junyi Tao

Class of 2023

Third Space Lab (TSL) held its first launch event on April 6th at 9PM CST. Considering the COVID-19 epidemic, this event took the form of an online zoom meeting and was also recorded and posted on the TSL Sakai site. In total, 97 students, faculty, and staff from DKU and Duke, and from various institutions in China and in the US, attended this exciting event.

Third Space Lab is a research lab at Duke Kunshan University (DKU) which aims to, “accompany and understand students’ experiences and learning in intercultural spaces and encounters” by examining the transformation of multilingual identities both at DKU and abroad. Currently, TSL has a series of workshops and research projects led by co-directors Dr. Chiocca, Dr. Naghib, and Dr. Zhang. Currently, the co-directors are in the process of planning more interesting events in the future, such as panel discussions, other webinars, as well as forum discussions. Continue reading “Report on the Launch of Third Space Lab”

Third Space Lab – Research Assistants – Recruitment

We are looking for 4 undergraduate research assistants to support research projects and events sponsored by the Third Space Lab.

Preference will be given to those who are interested in the following fields: intercultural communication, international education, sociolinguistics (language, culture, and society), conflict resolution, and applied linguistics (focus on language learning), and who are interested in developing a Signature Work out of their work as student-researchers of the lab or out of their own Third-Space story-building and storytelling.

Please refer to the following information about current lab projects. Send your CV or resume to the corresponding principal investigator(s) with a short cover letter with a description of yourself and a short statement of interest explaining: 1) why you want to work on this part of the project, and 2) why you think you are a strong candidate for the position (what your skills and qualifications are, and what personal experiences may prepare you and help you to enrich this research project). You are encouraged to mention the name of a reference who can attest to your skills (no letter of recommendation needed).

Note: Given the current pandemic, the projects described below are subject to change and are based on the geographical location of students.

Please send your application materials via email by April 26th. Continue reading “Third Space Lab – Research Assistants – Recruitment”

Third Space Lab Launch

Date: Monday, April 6

Time: 9am US Eastern time / 9pm China time

Zoom Meeting ID: 599-474-290

Third Space Lab (TSL) welcomes the DKU community to participate in its launch. Dr. Zhang Xin, Dr. Naghib, and Dr. Chiocca will introduce the lab’s objectives, research projects, and workshops on international education. The highlight of the launch is the talk by Dr. Darla Deardorff, on “Developing Habits for an Intercultural Lifestyle,” followed by a Q&A session. This event will be recorded and posted on the Third Space Lab Sakai site for all to view.

Below is the partial recording of the launch. The full recording along with Dr. Deardorff’s PPT slides are available on the Third Space Lab Sakai site. If you are interested in accessing the Third Space Lab Sakai site, please email the co-directors to get enrolled.

Featured Speaker: Dr. Darla K. Deardorff, Duke University

Talk: Developing Habits for an Intercultural Lifestyle

Abstract: What is intercultural competence? What competencies are needed to get along together across differences? And what are some key habits for living an intercultural lifestyle? Join in this interactive discussion to explore together some key competencies and habits that help navigate across differences, whatever those differences may be (including cultural, gender, generational, religious, socio-economic and so on). Developing these habits can lead to more positive relationships as well as to greater success in a wide variety of intercultural contexts. Continue reading “Third Space Lab Launch”