The Chronicle

Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
Last update: 2/27/08 at 6:11 AM EST

Media Credit: Kevin Hwang Newly elected graduate Young Trustee Xing Zong is a fifth-year physics Ph.D. student.

Media Credit: Kevin Hwang Xing Zong ran for graduate and professional Young Trustee on a platform of increased openness.

Xing Zong, an international student from China, was elected from a pool of three finalists to serve as the next graduate and professional Young Trustee by Graduate and Professional Student Council representatives at GPSC's general body meeting Tuesday.

Zong, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in physics, said he plans to serve as the connection between the Board of Trustees and his peers.

"I want to be your iPhone Young Trustee," Zong told the council in his speech. "It has many different functions. I want to learn from you-I want to store all your useful information."

Zong's platform focused on three principles: open house, open sources and open minds.

He explained in his speech that "open house" entails attracting the most talented students to Duke from around the world through innovative recruitment strategies.

"Open sources" and "open minds" apply to increasing the interaction between graduate and professional students and promoting an environment conducive to entrepreneurship.

Zong added that he hopes Duke will replicate some of its peer institutions' successful ventures. He said Stanford University has distinguished itself because it has taken advantage of its proximity to large nearby companies such as Yahoo, Hewlett-Packard and Google.

"The Research Triangle [Park] is near Duke, but we have not yet utilized the area," he said.

Graduate and professional students in attendance asked the candidates questions regarding topics ranging from security issues to their plans if elected.

Zong kept the council in good humor throughout his speech, parodying the daily strife of his peers.

"Graduate and professional students typically struggle to get an 'A' in our 200- or 300-level classes," he said. "We constantly struggle to survive the 36-hour [GPSC basketball] campout and we constantly struggle to get a parking space."

GPSC President Crystal Brown, a third-year law student, said she was pleased with the night's selection and believes Zong won because of his unique experiences and approach to the position. She added, however, that all the finalists were very qualified.

"I do think the thing that differentiated him from the others was his ability to think about Duke globally," she said.

Zong said in an interview with The Chronicle after the election that he is glad he was selected.

"It's such a nerve-wracking process, and I feel very excited," Zong said. "Duke is a place where I think anyone can succeed."

Zong said he hopes to increase interaction among all schools, especially the medical school.

He plans to remain in Durham until either December 2008 or May 2009, when he will receive his Ph.D. He also plans to visit some of Duke's peer institutions during the summer to better understand university systems.

At the end of his speech he quoted a Chinese adage, noting that he's been readying himself for this opportunity since his acceptance at Duke.

"A one-minute on-stage performance requires years of preparation behind the scenes," he read.

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