China's Ministry of Education recently approved the program, to begin in January at Renmin University in Beijing. Graduates of the program will be awarded a degree from UB.

The UB program will be the only U.S. program in China to be affiliated with a nationally ranked Chinese school of business, according to John Thomas, associate dean of international programs.

From 1984-91, UB operated the first and only U.S. MBA program in China, which graduated 216 students, many of whom have since risen to prominent positions in Chinese and American-based businesses in China.

That program, affiliated with China's Dalian University of Technology, ended after funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce expired.

The management school's decision to launch another program in China reflects its belief that the country in the next few years will overcome its economic troubles to continue as a major player in the global marketplace, said Thomas.

"In the next century, China will have a critical need for executives familiar with Western-style management practices," Thomas said. "By providing the Chinese with a top-notch management education, we not only will help China advance its business goals, we will be improving U.S. access to the Chinese marketplace."

The two-year program, designed for executives with at least five years of work experience, will be taught in English by UB faculty members who will travel to China to teach courses in two-week modules. Renmin faculty experienced in Western business practices also will teach in the program.

The School of Management also operates an Executive MBA program in Singapore, established in 1994, which has enrolled more than 80 executives and will graduate its first class in March.

"The UB management degree carries considerable weight in Asia," says Thomas.

Startup of the Executive MBA program in Beijing is aided by a $200,000 grant from global gas manufacturer, Praxair, which operates six joint ventures and two wholly owned companies in Asia.

Lewis Mandell, dean of the School of Management, says that the new program will help the school build important new relationships in China. He plans to link the Beijing program with the school's domestic MBA program, which would create opportunities for students to study in China, as well as pursue career opportunities with Chinese businesses and with U.S. businesses that have entered or seek to enter the Chinese marketplace.

"We also hope to use our expertise and access in China to aid local, regional and national companies that want to learn more about doing business in that country," Mandell added.