ESCP Europe Business School, France, signed a General Agreement on Strategic Partnership with the School of Economics and Management, Tongji University in Paris on Nov 18.

Under the agreement, Tongji SEM will expand its education services into Europe, while ESCP Europe will enter Shanghai and implement its strategic plan in Asia.

The two parties will broaden collaboration in master double degree programs and further carry out in-depth cooperation in faculty, executive training, scientific research, and teaching facilities.

The two parties are expected to initiate an executive education program early next year, focusing on the "Smart City".

Participants of this program are mainly from campuses in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

This program will be connected with the construction of the China Smart City and International Smart City and improve the building of domestic smart cities to be more internationally oriented.

"This partnership will become a role-model for cooperation between business schools in East Asia and Europe. It will become a new communicative platform for entrepreneurs to exchange and learn with each other in the same classroom," said Professor Huo Jiazhen, dean of Tongji SEM.

Professor Edouard Husson, dean of ESCP Europe said: "Strategically speaking, business schools in developing countries will become the focus of our partners in the future as this will help us build a more comprehensive international cooperation."

In 2013, Tongji SEM came 7th in the Top Business School Rankings on the Chinese Mainland by Eduniversal.

Founded in 1819, ESCP Europe is the world's oldest business school.