Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) has signed an agreement with China's Renmin University that will permit approximately one dozen Chinese students to come to SIPA annually to study in its program in economic policy management. After completing a year of study at Renmin and a year at SIPA, these students will have two degrees -- a master's in public administration from SIPA in Economic Policy Management and a master's in finance from Renmin, located in Beijing.

The program is expected to expand to allow SIPA students to follow a reciprocal course of study. It is tentatively scheduled to start in the spring of 2003.

Following the May 25th signing ceremony in Beijing, SIPA Dean Lisa Anderson delivered the Annual Mundell-Huang Da Lecture. Both Robert Mundell, a Nobel Prize-winning Columbia economist, and Huang Da, a former president of Renmin University, were in attendance.