N.C. State is expanding international connections by partnering with top ranked French Business School SKEMA.

The School of Knowledge Economy and Management, SKEMA, will offer several undergraduate and graduate business programs, ranging from one to two semesters, on Centennial Campus.  The first group of about 250 students will arrive for the spring semester in January 2011.

SKEMA will lease about 18,000 square feet on Centennial Campus and have a resident academic director as well as its own faculty and administrative staff. 

The school was opened in June 2009 because of a merger of two top French business schools, Ceram Business School and the ESC Lille School of Management. In 2009, The Financial Times’ Master in Management ranking placed CERAM and ESC Lille, recently merged, at respectively 23 and 17 positions out of 50 European, North American and Asian business schools.

According to SKEMA representatives, the school was drawn to the region given the world renowned reputation of the Research Triangle Park.

The University’s proposal, including the infrastructure available on Centennial campus, allows SKEMA to offer complete service and academic excellence to its students. The school has come to an agreement with the College of Management to work on a number of academic projects together.

“This type of partnership is extremely important in an increasingly global business environment,” said Ira Weiss, dean of the College of Management. “SKEMA is a highly-ranked, highly-regarded business school. By bringing SKEMA to N.C. State, we expand our international portfolio and create new international opportunities for students and faculty – for study, research and employment.”

SKEMA’s academic strategy is to open its own campus in countries it believes will have a major influence on global business. SKEMA currently has campuses in China and Morocco, in addition to three campuses in France.

“Our new partnership with N.C. State will allow SKEMA to provide a complete range of service and academic excellence to students,” said Alice Guilhon, dean of the SKEMA business school. “Opening this N.C. State campus represents a unique opportunity for students, faculty members and our respective regions. We look forward to being actively engaged and supportive of the academic and business communities in North Carolina, as we are in France.”

SKEMA students will pay the same fees charged to the University’s full-time undergraduate/graduate students for use of the library facilities and services; campus recreation and gym facilities; and university bus transportation. 

SKEMA students are not considered N.C. State students. They can’t be provided accommodation, and will have to arrange for housing by themselves. According to Wiess, this might create some hassles for the French students as popular off-campus locations on Avent Ferry Road like Champions Court and Kensington Park already house the majority of the University’s international students.

Lauren Ball, programs coordinator at the office of international services said that the high number of arriving French students could create some issues. 

“The 200 students arriving in January will compete with the existing University students for off-campus housing. We’re talking to international student organizations about how this can be managed,” Ball said.

There is no formal agreement yet, but the University is looking at the possibility of creating study-abroad and exchange opportunities for N.C. State students at SKEMA’s French campuses.

The University currently has more than 200 global partnerships, and has added more than 70 international agreements in the last three years.