France’s number one business school, HEC Paris, has signed major partnership agreements with two of China’s top universities, SUSTech in Shenzhen and Tsinghua University in Beijing. They aim to strengthen academic research, develop executive programs and create world-class degrees in fields as diverse as innovation management, entrepreneurship and creative industries. The partnerships will also reinforce academic research in the two countries. The agreements were signed in the course of the June 22-25 visit to China by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
Edouard Philippe was accompanied for the official four-day stay by the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Frédérique Vidal, and Mounir Mahjoubi Minister of State for the Digital Sector. They were present in Shenzhen on June 22 for the signing of the crucial strategic agreement between HEC Paris, France’s top business school and the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). On this occasion, the two institutions also announced the establishment of the Sino-French Innovation Platform in Shenzhen. This initiative is geared to provide knowledge, training and cooperation opportunities to deep-tech companies and entrepreneurs from the two countries.
The partnership between HEC Paris and SUSTech will create degrees and executive programs which will focus on the high-tech and digital industry and start-ups. For HEC Paris’ Dean Peter Todd, the alliance is a fantastic opportunity for both schools to reinforce their competitive positions in the Asian and European regions. “It will also allow greater mobility and networking between France and China for students, faculty and startups from our incubators,” he adds. The partnership will also enable HEC Paris to enhance its visibility and presence in southern China, a region that is well known for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Professor Shiyi Chen, President of SUSTech insists on the benefits that the leading French business school brings: “HEC’s departments of finance and strategic management and its expertise in disciplines including leadership are among the best in the world. SUSTech’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA) will be a main body responsible for implementing collaborative programs. This will also enable SUSTech to contribute more to Shenzhen’s further development in a new era, especially from business and management education perspectives.”
On June 25, in the presence of Ms. Frederique Vidal, HEC Paris also signed an agreement in Beijing with the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University to launch a new Executive Master in Media, Art and Creation, a joint degree programmed to start later this year in China.
François Collin is Associate Dean for International Affairs at HEC Paris. “We are delighted to expand our presence in China through the launch of a new executive degree program with our historical partner Tsinghua University,” Collin says. “This program, taught by world-class international professors from both schools, provides an exclusive and very unique experience for future talents in the area of art, fashion and creative industries.”
HEC Paris and Tsinghua University have enjoyed a successful academic partnership since 2006. Flagship agreements span multiple programs, including doubles degrees for the Master in Management, the Master in Business Administration, and the Master in Finance, in addition to executive education programs such as an Advanced Management Program in Fashion and Luxury.
The Dean of Tsinghua University’s Academy of Arts and Design, Prof. Lu Xiaobo, sees long-term benefits to the latest accord: “Through this program, we hope to cultivate a group of professionals who have not only mastered solid theoretical foundations, but who also have acquired actual professional skills. I t is a valuable exploration of theory and applied action, and is innovative in its ability to break down the traditional boundaries between culture, art and business practices.”
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