Yale University, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the United States, announced today that it will be opening a Yale Leadership Center in China's capital, Beijing, its first physical footprint in the country.

The center, which is funded by a US $16-million grant from three donors, will be located on the 31st floor of the International Finance Center in Beijing's central business district, said Yale University President Peter Salovey.

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Salovey said the Yale Leadership Center will provide a venue for Yale students and faculty to collaborate and work in China. It will also expand the university's global reach and further support faculty and students in the country. The center will be operated by Yale's School of Management.

The center, which will have a similar function and layout to the Greenberg Conference Center in New Haven, will also be a venue for Yale to expand its range of executive programs and conferences that will be offered to leaders in China.

Brad Huang, one of the three donors whose contributions will make the center possible, said a Yale center in Beijing will make everything a lot more efficient of the university, especially in recruiting leaders to enroll.

Huang added that the center was actually conceived several years back. The center is set to open on October 26th.

"The center will also serve as a base for admission and alumni activity in China, in addition to providing a meeting and conference space," Salovey said.

While the Yale Leadership Center is the university's first physical footprint in China, Salovey said Yale has been involved in various projects and programs in the country. In total, Yale has at least 100 programs in the country.

Yale has partnered with a university in Shanghai for the formation of a joint biostatistics center. It also partnered with Peking University for a project.