We are pleased to extend our congratulations to Auckland University of Technology Business School and School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University for receiving their initial EQUIS accreditations.

Alfons Sauquet, Quality Services & EQUIS Director, congratulated the schools by saying: ‘Congratulations to both institutions, whose agility enabled them to create positive momentum for change in admittedly challenging societal times caused by the pandemic. We hope the EQUIS accreditation will positively impact the schools’ development for pursuing excellence in the future.’

Auckland University of Technology Business School

Auckland University of Technology (AUT), an agile university, is very market-driven and student focused on the one hand, and research-oriented and seeking impact on the other hand.

The AUT Business School is striving toward “real-world relevance and impact” in all its activities, while observing the values of “integrity, respect, and compassion”. This points to the adaptive and innovative capacity of the AUT Business School, who found their way to connect the tradition of the country with a timely topic most business schools are confronted with these days: equality, inclusion and respect.

Their priority areas involve graduates, research, partners, and resources, together with the themes of impact and relevance. We believe the Business School will be successful in crossing the bridge between academic values of rigour and excellence with impact because of its pathway of transformation in the past.

Kate Kearins, Dean, Auckland University of Technology Business School, said: ‘We are pleased and proud that the Auckland University of Technology Business School has been recognised for excellence with award of the prestigious EQUIS accreditation. This achievement reflects the dedication, commitment and care that is given to student learning and to contributions to the academic community and the world of practice by colleagues in the AUT Business School. The EQUIS process has been valuable for guiding and prompting us through some developmental milestones and, alongside our connection to the EFMD community, will continue to be an integral part of our progress and improvement.’

School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University

School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University has a vision and a set of values which focus on supporting the nation’s industrial development and that build on the clear Jiaotong identity – a traditional focus on railways, logistics, communication, industrial management, information systems and tourism.

The school is home to a high-quality student body, who enjoy a great deal of support from the Career services that ensure skills development opportunities and job search assistance. The curriculum design and extra-curricular activities expose students to internationalisation and practice, thanks to the school’s excellent connections with practice.

Research is central to the school’s mission, and is integrated into all aspects of Jiaotong’s work, including extensive student involvement in faculty research projects. Research is focused on national and corporate needs, increasingly international in nature, and pursued ethically.

‘From EDAF to EQUIS, we have received so much support from EFMD and the friendships we gain along the way were genuine. The process of EQUIS accreditation has led to the sustainable development of the School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University. We appreciate the support of the EFMD team for coordinating the accreditation process especially in this unusual time. With EQUIS accreditation, SEM will continuously improve the quality of teaching, research and service to fulfill the mission of developing effective, responsible, ethically and globally aware talents for our sector in China and beyond,’ commented Qiusheng Zhang, Dean, School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University.

EQUIS – EFMD Quality Improvement System

EQUIS is a rigorous tool for business schools to assess, accredit and improve their quality in ten key areas, benchmarking them against international standards in terms of governance, programmes, students, faculty, research, and foremost, internationalisation, ethics, responsibility and sustainability, as well as corporate engagement.

It offers not only a quality assessment but also a quality improvement process, very much rooted in the mission of EFMD. True quality is about continuing to strive to do better, even when you are already excellent, and this focus on continuous improvement is thus at the heart of the EQUIS mission.

EQUIS attaches particular importance to the creation of effective learning environments which foster students’ managerial and entrepreneurial skills alongside their personal development and sense of global responsibility.

There are currently 193 EQUIS accredited schools across 45 countries globally. More information is available on efmdglobal.org/equis.