The SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) has introduced a new entrepreneurship programme to foster cross-cultural learning and experiential learning. The Asian Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (AYEP)'s inaugural batch of students included eight to 10 students from each of the partner universities, one of which is SMU. Professor Arcot Desai Narasimhalu, Director of IIE, said that this was the first time that such a collaborative programme has been launched in this region and that they hope that it would foster long-term cross-border entrepreneurial partnerships which are critical to the economic growth and sustainability of a country. The programme culminated in a competition where the teams worked on business ideas that could be launched in different markets. They presented their ideas on the final day to a panel of judges comprising Dr Virginia Cha and Dr Miles Gilman who are both Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at IIE, and Mr Uday Deshpande, Co-founder of Tenshi Peak.