Undergraduate students will benefit from academic study and exposure to business practices in the United States, Asia, and Europe

SINGAPORE, Feb. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in the United States, Singapore Management University (SMU) in Singapore, and Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark are excited to announce a partnership to jointly offer undergraduates a unique 18-month, immersive exchange programme spanning three continents.

Named TRicontinental Exchange in Business and Leadership Education (TREBLE), this exchange programme will enable students to gain exposure to business environments and practices in the United States, Asia, and Europe. In addition to academic pursuits, students will hone their soft skills through immersive experiences in diverse geographic and cultural settings and will be able to grow their global network.

Every year, this trilateral and tricontinental programme will offer 15 undergraduates from each of the three institutions the opportunity to spend one-and-a-half years (i.e., three academic terms) rotating between three campuses. The 45 TREBLE students will build camaraderie as a cohort and take a set of specially curated courses at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), and CBS. These courses will be thematically focused on leadership of people, organisations, and markets. TREBLE students will also have access to other courses offered by each host university.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Dean Mary Margaret Frank, said, "UNC Kenan-Flagler seeks to develop inclusive leaders who are committed to making the world a better place. TREBLE provides a deeply immersive global experience by building a cross-cultural cohort from three top Business schools. Students will study, live, and travel together, creating a lifelong network with strong connections to SMU, CBS, and UNC Kenan-Flagler. We are proud to be part of this important collaboration to develop global leaders."

SMU LKCSB Dean Bert De Reyck, said, "As Asia's innovative and impactful gateway university, SMU takes great pride in providing our students with a holistic education that includes global exposure.  True to this vision, LKCSB is proud to announce TREBLE with like-minded partners in Europe and the United States.  The unique opportunity for SMU undergraduates to form a class with students from two renowned Business schools and to live and study abroad for two terms will provide them with not only first-hand inter-cultural leadership experiences and global business knowledge but also the opportunity to forge a deep network of peers around the world. This programme furthers LKCSB's mission of nurturing global-minded future leaders of society."

CBS Dean of Education Anna Thomasson, said, "CBS is committed to providing a global perspective to graduates building careers in business and management. To this end, TREBLE offers exciting opportunities to students to deepen their understanding whilst attending institutions in three different countries and continents. It does so by offering a unique and strong curriculum at the technical, intercultural, and managerial levels. The course offerings at each partner institution complement each other in providing insights to doing business across contexts and cultures, while developing students' ability to think creatively and innovate globally."

Students in the first TREBLE cohort will begin their exchange at UNC Kenan-Flagler in August 2025, followed by SMU in January 2026, and then at CBS in August 2026. Applications for the first intake are expected to begin in late 2024.

In addition to exemplary conduct and academic review, all applicants will undergo a stringent selection process at their respective home institutions. TREBLE students do not need to pay additional tuition fees to join the programme; however, they will be responsible for all personal expenses incurred during the programme, such as travel, accommodation, and living expenses.

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Enclosures:

• For more information on TREBLE programme, pls visit - https://business.smu.edu.sg/programmes/treble 
• Image of academic representatives of the TREBLE programme can be found here - https://news.smu.edu.sg/news/2024/02/21/university-north-carolina-singapore-management-university-and-copenhagen-business