On March 18, 2024, a delegation from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) led by Dr. Matt Rosenstein, Director of Global Education, and Ms. Christine Gozdziak, Assistant Dean of Gies College of Business, visited Tongji SEM. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Prof. WANG Hongwei, Deputy Dean of SEM, Ms. SHOU Yuexian, Director of the Public Relations and Communication Center and Deputy Director of EMBA and MBA programs, along with staff from International Cooperation and Accreditation Office.

During the meeting, both sides presented detailed overviews of their respective strengths in various disciplines. Prof. WANG gave a comprehensive overview of SEM’s research capabilities and innovative achievements in various fields. In return, UIUC shared its cutting-edge experiences and success stories in areas such as online MBA programs, global education and training initiatives. The two sides discussed in detail possible areas of cooperation, including English teaching and pedagogy training programs for faculty, accelerating undergraduate and master’s degree programs, online MBA programs and short, tailor-made study visits, etc.

Professor WANG emphasized the importance of international exchange and cooperation in education for Tongji SEM: “We are committed to fostering cooperation with top institutions like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in areas such as faculty training and MBA and EMBA programmes. Through such partnerships, we aim to continuously improve our international educational standards and institutional capabilities.”

Founded in 1867, UIUC enjoys a prestigious status alongside the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, collectively known as the “Public Ivy trio of American public universities”. In particular, UIUC’s Gies College of Business boasts exceptional strength in accounting and finance, with its discipline of Accounting ranked No. 2 in the United States.