We are pleased to announce that the School of Economics and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), China, and Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, have successfully obtained EQUIS accreditation for the first time. Warm congratulations to both institutions on joining the global community of EQUIS-accredited schools.

Alfons Sauquet, Quality Services & EQUIS Director, commented, ‘We are delighted to welcome the School of Economics and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Rabat Business School to the EQUIS community. Both institutions demonstrate a clear commitment to academic excellence, impactful research, and meaningful engagement with practice and society. Their achievements reflect the diversity and dynamism of the global management education community, and we look forward to supporting their continued development within the EQUIS network.’

Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat

Rabat Business School (RBS) is part of the International University of Rabat (UIR), established in 2010. UIR has grown into a multidisciplinary university with a clear international orientation, and RBS plays a central role within it. The School offers a wide range of academic programmes and continues to develop its research activities and external collaborations in response to both regional and global developments in management education.

Guided by its commitment to preparing responsible and globally minded graduates who can contribute to Africa’s progress, RBS focuses on providing relevant, practice-oriented education supported by an international perspective. The School has pursued steady growth in recent years, strengthening its faculty base and academic offer while maintaining close links with the professional and business communities.

The EQUIS Accreditation Board recognised the school for the quality of its infrastructure and the depth of its engagement with its alumni network. The School’s structured approach to alumni relations and graduates’ active involvement in advisory and mentoring roles were noted as positive examples of community engagement supporting institutional development.

‘Today marks a new milestone for Rabat Business School. With this recognition, RBS joins the most prestigious business schools in the world, making it the only institution in Morocco and French-speaking Africa with both EQUIS and AACSB international accreditations. This achievement reflects years of collective effort from our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners. It confirms our commitment to academic excellence and global impact’ said Nicolas Arnaud, Dean, Rabat Business School.

School of Economics and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)

Founded in 1986, the School of Economics and Management (SEM) is one of the 65 educational and research units of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). UCAS operates under the leadership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is a research-intensive university with more than 63,000 master’s and doctoral students. Within this structure, SEM benefits from being part of a broad scientific community, allowing it to engage with a range of disciplines and perspectives.

The School plays an active role in contributing to national policy and public debate through its research and advisory work. Its Centre for Forecasting Science provides annual analyses of the Chinese economy, and the School’s outputs have supported decision-making in areas of economic and social importance. With around 1,400 graduate students, SEM maintains a focus on high-quality education and applied research, addressing issues relevant to both academia and practice.

The EQUIS Accreditation Board commended the school for the quality and impact of its research, its approach to integrating research into teaching, and its close connections with the world of practice. The recognition reflects SEM’s consistent efforts to link academic inquiry with societal needs in China.

Yongmiao Hong, Dean, School of Economics and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, reflected, ‘We are delighted to be a member of the EQUIS community. Our advisors and Peer Review Team have offered thoughtful perspectives, posed incisive questions, and challenged us in ways that help sharpen our strategic priorities moving forward. We deeply value the opportunity to engage in this rigorous, forward-looking process. It not only validates the quality of our work but also drives us to continuously elevate our standing as a leading international business school. We extend sincere thanks to all individuals involved for their exceptional dedication and outstanding contributions.’

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

• Business School, The University of Western Australia, Australia
• Cranfield School of Management, United Kingdom
• Imperial Business School, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
• Kozminski University, Poland
• MBS – School of Business, France
• QUT Business School, QUT – Queensland University of Technology, Australia
• Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, Canada
• UCD College of Business, University College Dublin, Ireland
• University of Sussex Business School, United Kingdom

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 230 EQUIS-accredited schools across 46 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.