Louis J Golden, president of JA Southwest New England, said: "The experience is a chance of lifetime. I really admire these young students for being able to get to know business at an early age through an exchange program between the world's two largest economies."

Paul Chou, chairman of JA China, said he looked forward to seeing more students grow and achieve through the JA and UTC partnership. "UTC has a solid track record and extensive experience in corporate management and team building, effectively embedding innovation and sustainability into their DNA."

Xie Liping, president, UTC China Aerospace & Government Relations, said: "Cross-cultural exchange is an important aspect of UTC's business operations, and we believe this program will help students from both countries better understand one another and advance their understanding of the cultures and dynamics that fuel global marketplaces. Through our diversified courses, we hope to encourage students to innovate and develop into bright additions to UTC and to society."

In addition to providing monetary support to the JA Global Exchange Program, UTC also actively participates in the education programs by contributing a variety of professionals and innovators to enrich the interaction with the students along with their program ventures.

Since 1998, UTC and its business units have donated more than $3 million to JA. In 2008, UTC helped redevelop the fifth-grade curriculum for "JA in a Day" to include math and science concepts as a way to introduce children to opportunities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.