Newsroom :: UMT, French Graduate School to Develop Joint Programs

ARLINGTON, Virginia, April 6, 2001 - The University of Management and Technology has signed a memorandum of understanding with a French university to develop joint education programs and scholarly exchanges.

The agreement with ESC Lille-Lille Graduate School of Management, of Lille, France, allows for students from each school to do graduate-level work at the other. Students will be able to earn double Master of Science in Management or Master of Business Administration degrees from the two universities.

"With business becoming increasingly internationalized, it is vital for managers to gain experience in different cultures," said UMT Academic Dean J. Davidson Frame. "This agreement will help students in both institutions to gain that needed edge."

"French business, in general, but particularly companies in the North of France are developing global strategies in which the United States plays a major role. Encouraging the development of an American culture with UMT constitutes an important asset for ESC Lille students," according to Jean-Pierre Debourse, ESC Lille Dean and General Manager.

UMT is located in Arlington, Virginia, in the heart of the Washington national capital area. It offers MS in Management, MBA, and MS in Computer Science and Information Technology programs. The university also provides a range of training and consulting services to corporate clients.

ESC Lille is located in Lille, the major metropolis of the North of France, near the Belgium border, Paris and London. Founded in 1892, it is one of the oldest French business schools. It offers MS programs in Management, Project management and in Auditing and Control in English and French in Lille and Paris as well as MS programs in e-Business, Marketing, International Finance, Property Management, Tax Management, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, Human Resources, and Entrepreneurship and Business Creation.

Its also has a vibrant business incubator and its principle research centers are in the areas of entrepreneurship, project management and negotiation.

"American students will be able to learn about French and European business practices, while French students will learn about how business is conducted in the DC region," Dr. Frame said. "This is a great opportunity for students at each university."

The agreement also calls for scholarly exchanges, which will allow faculty members from both schools to teach classes and conduct research at the other.

UMT already has a highly successful education program established in a number of Chinese cities. The program is being done in partnership with Chinese education institutions and includes UMT faculty members from the United States teaching in China.

"This new agreement with ESC Lille allows UMT to expand the global reach of its educational programs to include Europe," said UMT President Yanping Chen. "Our program is becoming increasingly international in response to the needs of the business community."