[Chengdu, April 15, 2013] – A senior delegation from the Singapore Management University (SMU) led by President Professor Arnoud De Meyer visited and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that provides a broad framework for academic exchange and  building of partnership in areas pertaining to education and research with Sichuan University in Chengdu.

Chengdu is the third stop in SMU’s weeklong tour of China that has taken in Shanghai’s Fudan University and Jiaotong University, as well as Peking University and Tsinghua University in Beijing. During the visit, SMU had engaged in meetings with university heads, MOU signings, and Professor De Meyer delivered a keynote lecture to university faculty and students in Sichuan University.

The MOU with Sichuan University, which is for a period of five years, provides for the exchange of teachers and researchers, and the exchange of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students. It also promotes scientific research collaboration in areas of common interest and the establishment of joint scientific research platforms; exchange of journals and academic works; and other programmes mutually agreed upon by parties.

With strengths in single and multi-disciplinary research, close links with the corporate sector in Asia and distinguished teaching, SMU generates cutting edge research with a global impact and produces broad-based, creative and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. Of SMU’s faculty, 80 per cent hold PhDs from top universities around the world, and among international authoritative academic rankings, SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business and School of Economics are ranked 3^rd in Asia^[1]. Additionally, the University is ranked 1^st in Asia and 10^th worldwide in accounting^[2], and 2^nd in Asia and 25^th worldwide in finance^[3].  The University, through its Lee Kong Chian School of Business and School of Accountancy, has also earned accreditation from AACSB International and EQUIS for its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.^[4]

Professor Arnoud De Meyer said; “With a vision to become a premier university for the World of Business and Management, SMU has been committed to working with the world’s top universities in combining our strengths to create educational and research collaborations. Over the years, we have established strong partnerships with many distinguished universities in the United States, Europe and Asia. By way of this trip, I am happy to reinforce our China ties. This is to strengthen our international reputation and brand in this part of the world. I firmly believe that our collaboration with Sichuan University will add great momentum to our endeavour.”

Currently, SMU has collaborations with leading educational institutions which include the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Carnegie Mellon University; Booth School of Business, University of Chicago; Babson College and Stanford Graduate School of Business in the United States. In Europe, SMU has also established partnerships with Swiss Finance Institute (Switzerland); University of St. Gallen (Switzerland); Cass Business School, City University London (United Kingdom); as well as the five institutions under the prestigious THEMIS law network^[5]; among others.