The Claremont University Consortium will strengthen ties with Asian universities to increase its students' exposure to the rising economy, representatives of the consortium said during a visit to Asia.

The consortium, consisting of seven liberal art colleges in the United States, believes more students will be interested in Asia.

Laura Skandera Trombley, president of Pitzer College, one of the consortium colleges, said she has 15 students who want to participate in an exchange program in Beijing this spring.

"They want to be in Beijing for the Olympics," she said.

It is the first time for all the presidents of the consortium's colleges to visit Asia together, exploring opportunities for exchange programs, research projects or even joint degree programs.

Trombley said Pitzer College will encourage more students to study abroad before they graduate. Currently, 75 percent of the graduating students of Pitzer College have studied abroad, and the college aims to increase the proportion to 90 percent over the next five years.

Among the 90 percent, 25 percent will go to Asia, including China.

"We have to prepare our students for the global economy. Asia is a major engine of the global economy, students really need to have more exposure to the region," she said.

The college has already cooperated with Peking University on exchange programs, which include courses in the Chinese language, Tai Chi, calligraphy, Chinese history and traditional Chinese medicine.

Chinese students will also benefit from the exchanges, Trombley added. For example, Peking University students may take part in a 6-week summer course on tropical diseases and rainforest management in the college's center in Costa Rica.

Trombley said the US students were satisfied with the quality of the institutions in Asia.

She said that the rise of Asian universities would not be a threat to overseas institutions, adding that more collaboration would enhance quality.

The delegation of the consortium has visited Singapore before arriving in Hong Kong on Sunday.

In Hong Kong, it has visited the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University.

The delegation will leave for Shanghai today, followed by a two-day visit to Beijing, where they will meet with officials from Peking University.

(HK Edition 04/01/2008 page1)