On the heels of President Xi Jinping's meeting with visiting Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust on Monday, the educational exchange highlighted in the high-profile meet has taken a step forward.

Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) on Tuesday announced a collaboration inspired by the two sides' share mission: to create knowledge and disseminate it through teaching programs and other outreach methods for the betterment of global communities.

The five-year program, expected to last until March 2020, will consist of collaborative teams from CKGSB and HKS leveraging research, events and executive education to address issues of global relevance and significance, which will require alliances that bring together leaders from government, business and civil society sectors.

Potential subjects to be covered by this cooperative project may include: the role of governments and businesses in promoting institutional and social innovations that mitigate income and wealth inequalities and promote inclusive growth, and the impact of technological disruptions and social changes on the business environment as well as new perspectives on leadership (comparing Eastern and Western models, public and private sectors, as well as short-term and long-term views).

As part of the collaboration, research teams from CKGSB and HKS are expected to deliver high-impact public events and forums at HKS in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and at CKGSB in Beijing, where faculty from both schools will shed light on sustainable development, inclusive growth, and corporate social responsibility, among other key issues.

HKS-CKGSB customized executive education programs on issues of relevance to the global community, white papers, case studies and articles will also be offered throughout the program.

These joint efforts will leverage the respective strengths of CKGSB and HKS to provide solutions to some of society's most challenging problems, part of the mission of both schools.