College of Management Academic Studies signs collaboration agreement with leading Chinese university

According to the agreement, the long term plan calls for the two institutions to launch a joint undergraduate program.

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI
Israeli and Chinese academics sign cooperation agreement (photo credit: Yossi Alterman)
Israeli and Chinese academics sign cooperation agreement
(photo credit: Yossi Alterman)
The College of Management Academic Studies announced on Tuesday it had signed a collaborative agreement with one of China’s leading universities, the University of Science and Technology Beijing.
The agreement outlined both short- and long-term collaborations between the two institutions. In the short term, the college (COMAS) and the university (USTB) will offer Israeli and Chinese graduate students, beginning in the next academic year (2014-15), the opportunity to participate in a workshop in Israel focusing on entrepreneurship and strategy, including among its activities the development of a business plan and business ventures, meetings with technology leaders, studying entrepreneurial thinking, raising capital, and study tours.
In addition, the schools will participate in an exchange of lecturers and students, including a delegation of Israeli students who will study in China and a teaching delegation from USTB who will visit Israel and lecture on subjects including Chinese business culture and the Chinese economy.
According to the agreement, the long-term plan calls for the two institutions to launch a joint undergraduate program, with the development of a joint graduate program to follow.
“China’s standing as an economic superpower – after developing in recent years into one of the most influential countries in the global economy and in the field of global policy – is an acknowledged reality, yet for Israeli students China is unfamiliar and unknown,” said Prof. Zeev Neumann, president of COMAS.
“I believe that the College of Management Academic Studies and the University of Science and Technology Beijing will yield great benefits from this collaboration. We will benefit greatly from the power and knowledge of a leading Chinese university, and the added value that the College of Management Academic Studies will bring to bear is in expanding the know-how in the field of entrepreneurial education.
Entrepreneurial research in Israel is highly developed, while in China it is only just beginning,” added Neumann.
While the agreement signing ceremony took place nearly two weeks ago, COMAS decided to announce the collaboration only on Tuesday, following a lengthy two-year process.
The ceremony was attended by the president of COMAS, and the vice president of USTB, Sun Dongbai, who arrived in Israel to participate in the ceremony, along with seven faculty members. Also in attendance were the college’s CEO, Rafi Sarfati, and the deans of the schools of business administration and computer sciences at COMAS, as well as additional faculty members.
USTB was founded in 1952 and has since evolved into one of the most prominent public universities in China, specializing in engineering studies along with programs in the fields of science, business administration, economics, computer sciences, law and the humanities.
In 1997, USTB was chosen by the Chinese government to participate in a unique project that aims to develop the university and make it one of the top 100 universities in the world.