Business Schools Launch Tri-Continental Exchange Program Partnership

• The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, Singapore Management University, and Copenhagen Business School partnered for a student exchange program.
• The TRicontinental Exchange in Business and Leadership Education (TREBLE) partnership will feature an 18-month, immersive experience with stops at each institution.
• The 45-person TREBLE cohorts will feature 15 students from each university.
• Applications for the first cohort will begin later this year, with the exchange kicking off at UNC-Chapel Hill in August 2025.

Undergraduate business students can take part in an 18-month exchange program in Asia, Europe, or the United States as part of a new multi-continental business school partnership. ‘

The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, Singapore Management University (SMU), and Copenhagen Business School (CBS) will offer students a chance to rotate between the three schools as part of their new TRicontinental Exchange in Business and Leadership Education (TREBLE) partnership, according to an announcement.

That 18-month exchange program, amounting to roughly one academic term at each of the three institutions, will be open to 15 undergraduates from each business school yearly.

International business professionals who bring a global and cross-cultural perspective to their work are in demand in an increasingly globalized economy.

Whether students want to pursue a career in supply chain management and logistics or marketing and finance, an international business education can bolster their cross-cultural proficiencies and global business mindset.

The TREBLE program will give students a chance to study in three vastly different business environments, from central North Carolina to the global financial hub of Singapore and the leading sustainability center of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The first cohort will begin their studies at UNC-Chapel Hill in August 2025, with applications set to kick off next year, according to the release.

"TREBLE offers exciting opportunities to students to deepen their understanding whilst attending institutions in three different countries and continents," Copenhagen Business School Dean of Education Anna Thomasson said in a press release.

"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."

Mary Margaret Frank, dean of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, said TREBLE will feature a cohort-based model and bring together students from each institution.

"UNC Kenan-Flagler seeks to develop inclusive leaders who are committed to making the world a better place," Frank said in the release.

"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."

That tri-continental experience with a multinational, 45-student cohort will build a global network, Bert De Reyck, dean of Singapore Management University's Lee Kong Chian School of Business, said in the release.

"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," De Reyck said in the release.

Business schools have emphasized a need for leaders with a global perspective in recent years, with a number of top schools expanding their international offerings.

The New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business will launch a full-time master of business administration (MBA) program in the United Arab Emirates in January 2025, BestColleges previously reported.

NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann said in a press release at the time that the new program would help higher education "respond to the surging demand for global business leaders."

The University of Notre Dame announced earlier in 2023 that it would overhaul its executive MBA program to focus on global leadership. That will involve consolidating its executive MBA program onto its South Bend, Indiana, campus and focusing on immersion programs, particularly in the Global South.

That shift likewise aims to address a demand for globally focused business leaders, Martijn Cremers, the dean of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, said in a 2023 release.

"The shift to a global perspective aligns with the larger business demand for effective leaders with a strong understanding of the complexities of a global economy, particularly in working with varied work cultures."