James Miller appointed DKU’s first dean of interdisciplinary strategy
Duke Kunshan University
July 14, 2020
James Miller’s academic journey has seen him cross many disciplinary borders. As a young scholar of Chinese studies, he explored language, history, art and literature; and as a graduate student at Cambridge University, he drew from the worlds of philosophy, anthropology and sociology to understand how religion functions in society.
Yet it was an event at Harvard University two decades ago that showed him how integrating disciplinary knowledge can lead to bold, world-changing ideas.
“It was a series of conferences in which religious scholars sat down with climate scientists, ecologists and environmental activists to work out what the world’s religious traditions could contribute to transforming our society in a more sustainable fashion,” said Miller, a noted expert in Daoism. “The results were both innovative and socially relevant. It was a key experience for me.”