News Releases

Business School Expands Partnerships with Chinese Universities

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The University of Kansas School of Business is expanding its relationships with two partner universities in China to include student exchange agreements.

While signing of the formal agreement documents is still pending, a variety of activities have commenced nonetheless.The terms of these agreements will provide KU Business undergraduate and graduate students with more opportunities to study in China.

Like KU, Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU) in Guangzhou is a comprehensive university, and the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing is a university specializing in international business, economics, law and foreign languages. Both of these KU partner universities have top-ranked business schools.

Plans are being made to send three KU Business students to UIBE this coming fall.Carol Rose, director of the Business School's Institute for International Business, said "There is scholarship money available to help fund our students for study in China. We are working with the KU Office of Study Abroad on course offerings and getting these courses approved for KU Business credit."

Exchange students from China have already arrived at KU. Last spring and again this spring semester, Ph.D. students from UIBE are here at KU working with Business professor Tailan Chi. In addition, two undergraduate students from SYSU are now at KU as part of the new exchange program. Rose said these students were having a meaningful and successful experience at KU. Students from KU will be able to attend the two Chinese universities next year and will be able to earn an additional degree if they study in China for two semesters.

"These universities offer excellent opportunities for our students to gain in-depth knowledge about this rapidly growing economic power in the world and to stay on track toward graduation because of the business courses offered in English," said Chi.

Two Chinese faculty are also visiting KU this spring semester.They are supported by the Chinese government and are involved in research projects with KU Business faculty members Andrew Chen and Terry Zhao.

In May, a group of KU MBA students will travel to SYSU to get an inside look at Chinese business activity and to participate in an international business case competition.The KU School of Business believes international experience is key to preparing students for leadership positions in the global marketplace. KU Business students take advantage of study abroad programs at rates well above the national average, and 70 percent of the KU Business faculty have conducted international research or taught abroad in the last three years.