UNC, Singapore Management University and Copenhagen Business School to offer new program

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Singapore Management University (SMU) and Copenhagen Business School (CBS) are excited to announce a partnership to jointly offer undergraduates a unique 18-month, immersive exchange program spanning three continents.

Named TRicontinental Exchange in Business and Leadership Education (TREBLE), the exchange program will give students exposure to business environments and practices in the U.S., Asia and Europe. In addition to academic pursuits, students will hone their soft skills through immersive experiences in diverse geographic and cultural settings and will be able to grow their global network.

Every year, this trilateral and tricontinental program will offer 15 undergraduates from each institution the opportunity to spend one-and-a-half years (three academic terms) rotating between their three campuses.

The 45 TREBLE students will build camaraderie as a cohort and take a set of specially curated courses at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) and CBS. These courses will be thematically focused on leadership of people, organizations and markets. TREBLE students will also have access to other courses offered by each host university.

“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,” says UNC Kenan-Flagler Dean Mary Margaret Frank. “Students will study, live and travel together, creating a lifelong network with strong connections to SMU, CBS and UNC Kenan-Flagler. We are proud to be part of this important collaboration to develop global leaders.”

SMU is a premier university in Asia. “As Asia’s innovative and impactful gateway university, SMU takes great pride in providing our students with a holistic education that includes global exposure,” said SMU LKCSB Dean Bert De Reyck. “True to this vision, LKCSB is proud to announce TREBLE with like-minded partners in Europe and the United States.  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 intercultural leadership experiences and global business knowledge but also the opportunity to forge a deep network of peers around the world. This program furthers LKCSB’s mission of nurturing global-minded future leaders of society.”

CBS is Denmark’s largest educational and research institution within business administration and economics.

“CBS is committed to providing a global perspective to graduates building careers in business and management,” said Anna Thomasson, CBS Dean of Education. “To this end, TREBLE offers exciting opportunities to students to deepen their understanding whilst attending institutions in three different countries and continents. 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.”

Students in the first TREBLE cohort will begin their exchange at UNC Kenan-Flagler in August 2025, followed by SMU in January 2026, and CBS in August 2026. Applications for the first intake are expected to begin in late 2024.

In addition to exemplary conduct and academic review, all applicants will undergo a stringent selection process at their respective home institutions. TREBLE students do not need to pay additional tuition fees to join the program, but they will be responsible for all personal expenses incurred during the program, such as travel, accommodation and living expenses.

About Singapore Management University

A premier university in Asia, SMU is internationally recognized for its world-class research and distinguished teaching. Established in 2000, its mission is to generate leading-edge research with global impact and to produce broad-based, creative, and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. SMU’s education is known for its highly interactive, collaborative, and project-based approach to learning.

Home to over 13,000 students across undergraduate, postgraduate professional and postgraduate research programs, SMU comprises eight schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics, School of Computing and Information Systems, Yong Pung How School of Law, School of Social Sciences, College of Integrative Studies and College of Graduate Research Studies. SMU offers a wide range of bachelor, master’s and PhD programs in the disciplinary areas associated with its schools, as well as in multidisciplinary combinations of these areas.

SMU emphasizes rigorous, high-impact, multi- and interdisciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance. SMU faculty members collaborate with leading international researchers and universities around the world, as well as with partners in the business community and public sector. SMU’s city campus is a modern facility located in the heart of downtown Singapore, fostering strategic linkages with business, government, and the wider community.

About Copenhagen Business School

CBS is Denmark’s largest educational and research institution within business administration and economics in a wide sense. The university is committed to providing business-related education programs and continuing education for both the public and, in particular, the private sectors.

CBS offers a large portfolio of degree programs which are based on a strong and internationally renowned research base that CBS works consistently to strengthen. CBS hosts Centres of Excellence, funded by the Danish National Research Foundation and continuously receives European Research Council Grants.

CBS is committed to communicating knowledge and new ideas to tomorrow’s business leaders and society in general. Its main contribution in this field is research and research-based education, and investment in research and high academic standards is therefore crucial to CBS’ contribution to society.

On June 29, 2020, the CBS Board approved the new strategy for CBS. The strategy creates a new framework and a strategic direction with a focus on creating positive change through collaboration with a wide range of external stakeholders. With transformation as the point of departure, the strategy must be the mindset to ensure the continued development of CBS. With strategic initiatives to optimize our core business, CBS can contribute to solving the grand challenges of the world in many years to come.