Erasmus University and Leiden University create strategic alliance to advance business education
After a series of negotiations, the boards of Leiden University and Erasmus University Rotterdam have announced today a strategic alliance in the area of business administration education. The alliance, which will be implemented as of January 1st 2006, will see the universities collaborate across their portfolios to utilise complimentary strengths and expertise, providing more opportunities for students pursuing qualifications in business administration.
“RSM Erasmus University has great capabilities in the area of business education,” says drs. H.W. te Beest, vice-president at Leiden University. “Given our strengths as a more traditional university, the alliance will leverage the competencies of both institutions, which will be beneficial for both current and future student bodies.”
Leiden University is a highly prestigious university and the oldest in the Netherlands. It has a broad range of faculties and a historic tradition of excellence in the humanities law, behavioural and sciences. RSM Erasmus University is the largest business school in the Netherlands and is consistently ranked amongst the leading business schools in Europe. It is world-known for the quality of its research and education across the full range of business administration programmes.
The new alliance will serve to exploit the strengths of both influential institutions –allowing the integration of highest-quality education in the humanities and sciences with expertise in business and management research and education.
The alliance includes the transfer of Leiden’s full-time and part-time executive MBA students into RSM’s equivalent programmes. The students will join RSM’s MBA class from January 1st 2006 and will receive an RSM qualification on completion of the programme. This is expected to be a seamless transferral and the geographic proximities of the two institutions will help facilitate this.
“This agreement should see both institutions benefit from the strengths of the other,” says Dean of RSM Erasmus University, Han van Dissel. “It will provide future opportunities for the development of graduate programmes that appeal to this changing market segment.”
Note for the editor:
Info: RSM Erasmus University: Costa Bandounas, tel. +31 10 408 1831 or e-mail: cbandounas@rsm.nl; Rebecca Morris, tel. +31 10 408 2568 or e-mail: rmorris@rsm.nl.
Leiden University: Wim van Amerongen, tel. +31 71 527 3233 or e-mail: wp.vanamerongen@bb.leidenuniv.nl
