We are pleased to announce that the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp; Toulouse School of Management; Faculty of Business Administration, Universität Hamburg; Department of Economics and Management ‘Marco Fanno’, Università degli Studi di Padova; and HSBC Business School, Peking University have received initial EQUIS accreditation. Congratulations to these schools!

Alfons Sauquet, Quality Services & EQUIS Director, commented, ‘Warm congratulations for this remarkable achievement! The EQUIS accreditation recognised these institutions’ outstanding research, robust connections with the practical world, and enduring dedication to sustainability and community engagement, qualities that truly embody the essence of EQUIS. We look forward to witnessing their continued growth and contributions to business and management education.’

We invite you to delve into the quality journey of these remarkable institutions.

Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp

Established in 1852, the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) at the University of Antwerp is committed to high-quality academic education and research, enjoying a strong reputation in the region. FBE has embraced a unique mission—shaping diamonds, focusing on fostering robust connections with the world of practice, enhancing community outreach, and integrating ERS into its academic activities, qualities that were commended by the EQUIS accreditation.

‘We are honoured to become part of a select group of top-tier business schools worldwide. This recognition reflects our unwavering dedication to high-quality education and research and our strong links to the world of practice. But at the same time, EQUIS is also a reminder and an encouragement to do better and keep up with the global challenges we face. Finally, I want to thank all our professors, staff, alumni and students. We could not have done this without their support.

FBE is very proud to receive the EQUIS accreditation. It will help us grow and strengthen our activities, including our post-graduate and executive portfolios organised through the Antwerp Management School,” said Koen Vandenbempt, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp.

Toulouse School of Management (TSM)

Founded in 1955, the Toulouse School of Management (TSM) at Toulouse Capitole University – the second oldest university in France – is a public institution offering state-recognised management degrees, from bachelor’s to doctoral levels. It adopts a holistic educational model that combines scientific, academic, and professional dimensions. With a student body of over 3,000, TSM places a strong emphasis on achieving significant contributions to management sciences, organisation sustainability, and management best practices. EQUIS acknowledged TSM for the quality of its research output and the robust policies and structures that serve as the bedrock of a vibrant research culture.

‘We are very pleased and proud to have been awarded EQUIS accreditation, which testifies to our institution’s commitment to continuous quality improvement. This result is, above all, due to the hard work of the TSM community: teachers, researchers, administrative staff, corporate and institutional partners and, of course, our students and alumni. The EQUIS accreditation makes us even more visible to our stakeholders, particularly international researchers and students. We see it as an encouragement to pursue TSM’s international development. We are delighted to be part of this network of excellence, allowing us to share our experiences and ambitions,’ commented Hervé Penan, Dean, Toulouse School of Management.

Faculty of Business Administration, Universität Hamburg, Germany

The Faculty of Business Administration at Universität Hamburg follows the mission to merge Hamburg’s historical legacy as an international trade metropolis with modern management approaches. Established in 2014, the faculty is a quantitative and empirical research hub, preparing leaders for a data-driven world. Focusing on ‘excellence in teaching’, the faculty enjoys a strong academic reputation, like its parent institution. The recent EQUIS accreditation recognised its well-defined policies and the robust foundational structures in place to support research.

‘EQUIS accreditation provides international recognition of our dedication to excellence in business administration research and education. But more important than the label is the journey – and we are extremely happy to have embarked on it in 2019. On our journey, we have reflected more clearly on our strengths and weaknesses and developed a clear, ambitious strategy for the next five years. Together, we have already made several positive changes within the school. And taking this positive energy with us on our journey, we will continue to develop further,’ expressed Henrik Sattler, Dean, Faculty of Business Administration.

Department of Economics and Management ‘Marco Fanno’, Università degli Studi di Padova

Università degli Studi di Padova was founded in 1222, positioning it as one of Europe’s oldest higher education institutions. With a yearly enrolment of over 40,000 students, it is deeply committed to research-intensive and research-driven innovation. The Department of Economics and Management ‘Marco Fanno’ (dSEA), established in the 1990s, has garnered recent recognition from EQUIS for the excellence of its research, which greatly contributes to the fields of economics and management, as well as for its steadfast commitment to providing robust support services that nurture student development.

‘Achieving the EQUIS accreditation allowed us to evaluate our Department against international benchmarks of excellence. This recognition acknowledges the high quality and professional relevance of our education programs and research endeavours and motivates all members of the Department to keep working together to pursue excellence in research, teaching, and knowledge transfer to society,’ commented Paola Valbonesi, Head, Department, Department of Economics and Management Marco Fanno.

HSBC Business School, Peking University

HSBC Business School is part of Peking University, one of China’s most prestigious and historic educational institutions. HSBS was founded in 2004 to enhance Peking University’s involvement in global economics, finance, and management research. Today, PHBS is a highly renowned school acknowledged for its robust international approach and unique programme focus that blends Chinese insights and a global perspective. The school’s excellence, as endorsed by EQUIS, extends to its comprehensive student selection processes and the exceptional quality of its student body.

‘We take great pride in our accreditation by this globally recognised accrediting body. This marks a significant milestone for Peking University HSBC Business School and is a testament to the exceptional dedication of all our stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, corporate partners, and university administrators. We will continue our commitment to elevate our standing as a leading international business school and to contribute to the global community,’ said Pengfei Wang, Dean, HSBC Business School.

During the same Accreditation Board meeting, the following institutions were also granted EQUIS re-accreditation:

• Aalto University School of Business, Aalto-yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu, Finland
• Business School, University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), China
• ESMT Berlin, Germany
• Grenoble Ecole de Management, France
• Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
• HEC Paris, France
• IMD, Switzerland
• Lancaster University Management School, United Kingdom
• Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
• School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Remarkably, among the re-accredited schools, Aalto University School of Business, HEC Paris, and IMD are part of the original EQUIS pioneer schools, obtaining their initial EQUIS accreditation in 1998.

Deans from re-accredited schools also commented on their achievement:

‘We are very pleased to receive the second EQUIS re-accreditation. This achievement fully shows that in the past five years, especially under the impact of the global public health event, the school has maintained its healthy development and vitality to realise its vision of becoming a globally oriented business school of significant influence. UIBEBS has been working with EQUIS for more than a decade. EQUIS is an open and inclusive accreditation system, and its continuously improved standards have spurred the school to continue pursuing improvement and progress in all areas, especially in research, internationalisation, and societal impact. We look forward to strengthening the core competencies in the next stage to serve better our students, faculty, alumni, and other stakeholders,’ expressed Deqiu Chen, Dean, Business School, UIBE.

The entire ESMT community is delighted to receive the EQUIS accreditation for another five years. The EQUIS reaccreditation confirms our commitment to excellence in research and teaching. We highly appreciate the open discussions in the peer review process and have taken the peer review team’s encouragement to set our goals even higher. We look forward to the continuous quality improvement that comes with this re-accreditation. My heartfelt thanks to all the internal and external stakeholders who supported this process,’ commented Jörg Rocholl, President, ESMT Berlin.

‘Grenoble Ecole de Management is proud to celebrate its fifth EQUIS reaccreditation for five years. The people of EFMD and the wisdom of the EQUIS framework have been an important cornerstone to the development of the School, to its continuous pursuit of excellence, and to its dedication to experimentation, innovation and the finding of ways to make business education a force for positive change in society,’ said Fouziya Bouzerda, Dean, Grenoble Ecole de Management.

‘We are delighted to have retained our EQUIS accreditation with distinction. This seal of excellence recognises our outstanding participants and alumni as well as the committed work of our faculty and staff in developing leaders who transform organisations and contribute to society. Beyond the (re)accreditation itself, we deeply value external reviews and the perspectives that they bring. Accreditation visits are always a great opportunity to take stock, reflect and set new aspirations for excellence. We are grateful to this year’s EQUIS Peer Review Team for their time and advice, and we are energised by their encouragement to continue to pursue IMD’s distinctive journey as a hybrid organisation combining the rigour of an academic institution and the closeness to practice of a professional services firm,’ expressed Jean-François Manzoni, President, IMD.

‘This re-accreditation is excellent news for our School and is a testament to the outstanding contributions made by academic and professional services staff and our students daily. Gaining accreditation is no easy task, and so much work goes on behind the scenes every day to ensure we provide our students with the exceptional quality they so rightfully deserve. This deep commitment to quality and building such a sense of community sets LUMS apart from other business schools. Our students can rest assured they will receive the very best teaching from academic leaders in their field and are learning in an environment that will stimulate them to be the very best they can be,’ commented Claire Leitch, Executive Dean, Lancaster University Management School.

‘This esteemed international accreditation awarded to the School of Economics and Business at the University of Ljubljana serves as a resounding endorsement of our educational programs’ quality, outstanding research endeavours, and unwavering dedication to our academic excellence. We believe that EQUIS acknowledges the exceptional quality of the Faculty’s historical accomplishments. It also underscores its ambitious commitment to ongoing enhancement and alignment with the best business schools regarding modern pedagogy and research pursuits,’ remarked Tomaž Turk, Dean, School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana.

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 a quality assessment and a quality improvement process, very much rooted in the mission of EFMD. True quality is about striving 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 215 EQUIS-accredited schools across 45 countries globally.

Explore further insights regarding EQUIS by delving into the Frequently Asked Questions.

For additional insights, announcements and perspectives about EQUIS, visit the conversation here.