Business school partnership advances real estate program

A new partnership agreement between the Wisconsin School of Business and the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) will bring some of the brightest students from Shanghai to Madison to study in the innovative Global Real Estate Master (GREM) program.

The agreement was signed by François Ortalo-Magné, dean of the Wisconsin School of Business, and Chun Chang, executive director of SAIF, in Madison late last month.

SAIF, the first international business school in China with finance MBA and master of finance programs in English, joins top business schools in Asia, Europe and Latin America — HEC Paris, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and INCAE Business School — as the fourth partner in Wisconsin’s unique graduate-level degree program in global real estate.

“The globalization of real estate capital flows has generated increasing demand for high level training in real estate investment around the world,” says Ortalo-Magné. “With a long history of excellence in real estate education and research, Wisconsin is uniquely positioned to prepare the real estate leaders of tomorrow.”

This premier educational partnership offers students a unique platform thanks to the quality of the consortium of partner business schools and the creativity of the GREM concept.

“By joining the GREM program, SAIF’s finance MBA and master of finance students will have an opportunity to learn more about real estate markets in the U.S. and enrich their overseas experiences,” says Chang.

The GREM program builds on the Wisconsin School of Business’ expertise and tradition in real estate education (it ranks as one of the top real estate programs in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report), its strong alumni network and its vital international industry connections. Students from these partner schools who enroll in the intensive capstone semester at Wisconsin will gain concentrated classroom training in principles of international real estate and valuable field experience in best practices in the industry.

UW-Madison is committed to expanding connections with China on multiple levels through its Wisconsin China Initiative. A Wisconsin delegation including the business school dean is currently visiting China, along with university, state and business leaders. This partnership with SAIF in the GREM program is a significant opportunity for facilitating engagement within the international business community.

The GREM program is open to students and recent graduates of the consortium of partner schools. Applications for the 2013 semester are now being accepted. Students will take courses in advanced real estate finance and economics, from the core concepts of feasibility analysis and urban economics to applied skills in real estate development and real estate portfolio management. A study tour of a major U.S. real estate market also provide students with opportunities to observe real estate projects in action and network with industry leaders.

The GREM program was established in 2010, its first class graduated in spring 2011. Classes for the 2013 intake will begin on Jan. 22, 2013.