HEC Paris, France’s number one business school which specialises in management education and research, signed major agreements this week with two of China’s top universities, SUSTech and Tsinghua University.

SUSTech, the Southern University of Science and Technology, is based in Shenzhen while Tsinghua is based in Beijing and specialises in research and global development.

The aims of the agreements are to strengthen academic research, develop executive programs, create world-class degrees in innovation management, entrepreneurship and creative industries, and reinforce academic research in two countries.

The agreements were signed during a visit by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s visit to China this week, where he was accompanies by Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and Mounir Mahjoubi, Minister of State for the Digital Sector.

Peter Todd, Dean of HEC Paris said: “It will allow greater mobility and networking between France and China for students, faculty and startups from our incubators.”

Professor Shiyi Chen, President of SUSTech, stated: “HEC’s departments of finance and strategic management and its expertise in disciplines including leadership are among the best in the world. SUSTech’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA) will be a main body responsible for implementing collaborative programs. This will also enable SUSTech to contribute to Shenzhen’s further development in a new era, especially from business and management education perspectives.”