TAIPEI: Eight Taiwan-based universities officially formed an alliance Sunday to promote and upgrade their Executive MBA (EMBA) programs and foster inter-school exchanges.

The principal goal of the alliance is to improve the competitiveness of EMBA education in Taiwan, said Yang Jiann-min, CEO of National Chengchi University's (NCCU's) EMBA program.

Other members of the EMBA Education Alliance are National Sun Yat-sen University, National Chiao Tung University, National Tsing Hua University, National Cheng Kung University, National Central University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and National Chung Cheng University. The prestigious National Taiwan University has not yet joined the alliance.

During the ceremony, members of the alliance pledged to expand cooperation and exchanges with each other.

Amid the trend of globalization, the alliance hopes to enhance the development of EMBA education in Taiwan by integrating the resources of its members, Yang said.

The alliance will hold inter-school and international academic events, offer inter-campus courses, organize overseas learning sessions, and set up an Internet exchange platform, he added.

In the initial stage, the alliance will also seek cooperation with mainland universities - including Xiamen University, Fudan University, Peking University and Nanjing University - to increase interaction among EMBA students in Taiwan and on the mainland, said Yang.

The alliance's long-term goal is to set up an EMBA education platform in Asia in the hope of promoting Taiwan as a regional and international mecca for EMBA education, Yang added.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 12/01/2009 page2)