Unlocking global opportunities for business undergraduates
SMU has announced a new programme that offers business undergraduates a unique 18-month, immersive exchange programme that spans three continents.
Named the TRicontinental Exchange in Business and Leadership Education (TREBLE), this exchange programme is offered in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill (UNC) in the United States, as well as the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark.
Besides academic pursuits, this unique exchange programme offers students first-hand opportunities and insights into business environments and practices in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Students can hone their soft skills through immersive experiences in diverse geographic and cultural settings and grow their global network.
“As Asia’s innovative and impactful gateway university, SMU takes great pride in providing our students with a holistic education that includes global exposure,” commented Professor Bert De Reyck, Dean of the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business. “This TREBLE programme presents an opportunity for SMU business undergraduates to form a class with students from two renowned business schools and to live and study abroad for two terms. They do not need to pay additional tuition fees to join the programme but will be responsible for personal expenses incurred during the programme.”
Opportunities to gain insights across contexts and cultures
Each year, TREBLE will offer 15 business undergraduates from each partner institution the opportunity to spend one-and-a-half years (three academic terms) rotating between the three campuses. The 45 participating students will take a set of specially curated courses – on the themes of leadership of people, organisations, and markets – at SMU’s LKCSB, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and CBS. This will provide them with not only first-hand intercultural leadership experiences and global business knowledge, but also the opportunity to forge a deep network of peers around the world.
Expanding on the experience, 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.”
CBS Dean of Education Anna Thomasson added, “The course offerings at each partner institution complement each other in providing insights into 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, before finishing at CBS in August 2026. Applications for the first intake are expected to begin in late 2024 and will undergo a stringent selection process at their respective home institutions.
