Faculty & Staff

The Bahamas, known officially as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a country within the Lucayan Archipelago. The archipelagic state consists of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, and is located north of Cuba and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of Florida, and east of the Florida Keys. The capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. The Bahamas became an independent Commonwealth Realm in 1973.

Officially known as the Republic of Malta, the rocky islands of Malta are located in the Mediterranean Sea. The archipelago of Malta doesn’t have rivers or mountains, but the coastline has impressive harbors and sandy beaches. The capital, Valletta, was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for the historical buildings dating back to 16th century.

Austria is a country of nearly 9 million people in Central Europe. The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.

As one of the most glamorous and exotic destinations in Asia, Hong Kong is a special administrative region located on the southern coast of the People Republic of China. The name Hong Kong translates into “fragrant harbor” traditionally due to the natural sweet water and the incense factories that would lie on the banks.

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast. Its capital and largest city is Prague, with 1.3 million residents. Other major cities are Brno, Ostrava and Pilsen.

Often considered a dream destination, the Philippines is the nation of green rice fields, never sleeping megacities, and volcanoes.

The Philippines, located in South-East Asia, has more than 7,000 islands all preserving amazing beaches, and marine life. The land is highly populated given that it sits at the 12th most populous countries in the world with a growth rate at 2%. In 1946 the Philippines gained independence after years of strikes against the American and Spanish sovereignty.

Paraguay is one of only two landlocked countries in South America (the other is Bolivia). It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de Sudamérica ("Heart of South America").

Portugal is one of the oldest nations in Europe. Before becoming the country that is today the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Swabian, Visigoths and Arabs dominated and passed by the western part of the Iberic peninsula. Given the long history and developed culture, Portuguese language, people, and inventions arrived to influence many parts of the world.

Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa. The nation comprises the island of Madagascar (the fourth-largest island in the world), and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Malagasy and French are both official languages of the state. The majority of the population adheres to traditional beliefs, Christianity, or an amalgamation of both.

ZIJUN WANG, An International Graduate Student from China

1. What are you studying at Duke and what are some of your campus involvements?