FIU Business has entered into an academic partnership with the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing for graduate dual-degree programs in finance and international business.

The agreement lays the groundwork for a network of academic and professional alliances that will reach from Miami to one of China’s leading business schools.

“This is the beginning of a new era of cooperation between our institutions,” said Joanne Li, dean of FIU’s College of Business. “In the coming years, we will work together to take the relationship to the highest levels to benefit students, faculty, and alumni in our local and global communities.”

As the first step, UIBE students will be able to receive the FIU Master of International Business or Master of Science in Finance at FIU at the Chapman Graduate School of Business in Miami. UIBE-FIU business courses will begin in China at UIBE’s campus in Qingdao this summer.

The first cohort of UIBE students are expected to join FIU Business in the above mentioned programs in Fall 2018.

“Our intent is to partner with high quality and entrepreneurial institutions in China; and welcome our partnership with UIBE to foster student exchange and faculty research collaboration,” said Sumit Kundu, associate dean, international programs at FIU Business.

As part of the three-year agreement, FIU will also have a strong brand presence in China.

“There will be a building in the campus designated for FIU programs,” said Dr. Wenyu Kou, Dean of UIBE Qingdao Campus, currently in development. A building on the campus will be co-branded UIBE-FIU.

Partnership will add other FIU Business programs.

In the near future, the FIU-UIBE partnership will extend to collaborations and exchanges in FIU’s Healthcare MBA and Ph.D. programs. FIU and UIBE will also work closely on innovation in areas related to programs exploring the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.

“UIBE is a national key university jointly-sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Commerce,” said Li. “It is the top university in China in the fields of economics, finance and management business.”

The agreement is expected to open the door to additional partnerships for undergraduate programs, student and faculty exchanges, executive education, and conferences.

A delegation from UIBE, led by Kou, visited FIU in January 2018 and finalized the partnership. Founded in 1951, UIBE is a multi-disciplinary national university with economics, management, law, literature and science as its core academic areas of expertise.