The Confucius Institute of Barcelona Foundation (FICB) and Esade will continue working together to promote and boost academic ties with China through various cultural and teaching activities, according to an agreement the two parties signed. “An international character is one of our hallmarks. Since its founding, Esade has promoted international initiatives, academic synergies, global projects, and partnerships,” said Joan Rodon, dean of Esade Business School. “Specifically, the work we have been doing jointly with the FICB since 2016 bears witness to Esade’s commitment to fostering an international and global perspective in our students.” According to Zhou Minkang and Li Peihua, directors of the FICB, “China is one of the main trading partners of the European Union, Spain and Catalonia; partnering with top-tier global educational institutions, such as Esade, reinforces the country’s aim of maintaining close academic relations, in addition to promoting knowledge of Chinese culture.” 

The framework agreement establishes several ways for the FICB and Esade to collaborate in areas such as teaching Chinese language and culture, implementing scientific and technical programs of interest to both parties, organizing academic activities, or training Chinese teachers to teach the language at Esade. 

Academic alliances between Esade and China

The signing of the agreement, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations between China and Spain, complements the strong academic ties that Esade maintains with the Asian giant through various alliances. Esade currently has 254 agreements with international universities. Among others, it has signed exchange and double-degree program agreements with 15 of the China’s top universities, including the double-degree Future Leaders Program for undergraduate students and the Dual MBA program for MBA students, both with the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. As for MSc programs, Esade offers a double degree program with Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and a joint program with the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and Lingna College at Sun Yat-sen University. 

More than one hundred Chinese students enroll at Esade each year. The Esade Alumni network has chapters in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, nearly 600 Chinese alumni and more than 420 alumni who live or work in China.