Huaiyuan Chen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Cognitive Science from Duke University. In his graduate study in the religion department at Duke University, he will focus on the intersections between cognitive science, Buddhist and classical Chinese conceptions of mind, and theories of comparative religion.

Tianjian Shi (Ph.D., Columbia University), Associate Professor of Political Science, specializes in comparative politics with an emphasis on political culture and political participation. He is the author of Political Participation in Beijing (Harvard University Press, 1997). His research appeared in World Politics, Journal of Politics, Comparative Politics, Daedalus and China Quarterly. His current research focuses on political culture and political participation in Asia.