We are pleased to announce that Université du Québec à Montréal, École des sciences de la gestion (ESG UQAM) has successfully completed the EFMD Business School Impact System (BSIS) assessment process and has been awarded the BSIS label for positive impact. 

The BSIS evaluation team highlighted several key strengths of ESG UQAM, including strong civic purpose, academic excellence, and a deep commitment to its community.

Addressing the school’s achievement, BSIS Director François Bonvalet remarked:

“ESG UQAM, a great and historical institution in Canada, exemplifies how a public business school can combine rigorous scholarship with meaningful social impact. Its dedication to students, research and the wider community sets a benchmark for business education that is both responsible and relevant.

Université du Québec à Montréal, École des sciences de la gestion (ESG UQAM)

Founded in 1969, towards the end of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution, UQAM included a business and management department that became ESG UQAM in 1991. Today, it is one of Canada’s leading French-language business schools. Located in central Montréal, ESG UQAM offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programmes in finance, marketing, strategy, and sustainable development.

The School combines academic rigour with applied research and maintains strong partnerships with business, government, and community organisations, contributing to Québec’s economic, social, and environmental development.

Driving innovation and entrepreneurship across Québec

The BSIS review team noted ESG UQAM’s vital presence in Montréal’s economic and educational life, combining academic quality with social conscience and inclusivity. The diversification of income streams was highlighted as a sign of prudent management and stability, while collaboration with internal and external stakeholders was recognised for creating economic value. Its total financial footprint reflects its status as both an anchor institution and an economic driver for Québec.

ESG UQAM’s educational mission was praised for depth and accessibility. With more than 11,000students enrolled in more than 100 programmes, the School demonstrates a remarkable capacity to serve a broad and diverse student body. Support for non-traditional learners—many working full time, being first-generation students, or from modest backgrounds—was commended.

Flexible and hybrid learning models were recognised as essential to widening participation, and the School’s emphasis on student welfare and mentorship created a truly supportive academic environment. Graduates achieve strong outcomes, with nearly nine in ten entering the regional job market within a year, underscoring the School’s impact on employability and the regional economy.

In business development and entrepreneurship, ESG UQAM is a catalyst for innovation and growth. The Centre for Entrepreneurship and the ESG+ initiative were highlighted for providing resources, competitions, and toolkits to support ventures. The School’s role in founding North America’s first tourism incubator exemplifies its practical and forward-thinking approach.

Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and accessible education

ESG UQAM is recognised nationally and internationally for research excellence in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure governance. Its 14 Knowledge Transfer Units support practical application of academic insights, and faculty engagement in public policy—including testimony to the Canadian House of Commons—demonstrates the real-world impact of its research. The combination of rigorous scholarship and social relevance was identified as a defining strength.

In the societal and CSR domain, the School holds a four-star AASHE STARS rating and is a PRME signatory. Diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are consistently recognised by students and partners. Sustainability and social responsibility are integrated into both research and management practices, and every student receives instruction in corporate social responsibility, reflecting the School’s commitment to responsible leadership.

Uniting economic influence, research, and social responsibility

ESG UQAM’s regional and reputational impact completes the picture of a business school inseparable from its environment. It is a key player in Montréal’s education, culture, and entrepreneurial sectors, and its downtown location reinforces its identity as a socially engaged and accessible institution. Academic excellence meets civic purpose, and inclusivity is central to its ethos.

The BSIS experts concluded that ESG UQAM successfully combines economic influence, academic quality, and social responsibility in a coherent and authentic manner. Its contributions to education, research, and community life form a consistent narrative of impact, establishing ESG UQAM as a model of a public business school that is financially sound, socially conscious, and committed to the prosperity of the community it serves.

Komlan Sedzro, Dean, Université du Québec à Montréal, École des sciences de la gestion, commented:

“The BSIS accreditation reaffirms ESG UQAM’s commitment to impact, inclusion, and innovation. It recognises the School’s role as a major driver of Quebec’s economic and social development, its leadership in responsible management education, and its growing international influence.”

About BSIS

The Business School Impact System (BSIS) is the first comprehensive impact assessment tool for business schools, covering more than 130 indicators across seven dimensions of impact. It provides a tailor-made data collection system for monitoring, assessing, and developing the impact of business schools.

The BSIS process involves the definition of the impact zone and institutional scope, data collection, impact assessment, and the report with recommendations for future development. Demonstrating the school’s impact on internal and external stakeholders, the system serves as a communication and negotiation tool externally and fosters an impact culture within the school. Schools that undergo BSIS are awarded the BSIS Label for a three-year period.

• There are currently more than 90 schools across 25 countries that have received the BSIS label.
• To learn more about the impact assessment system, please visit the BSIS website or contact Julie Comte.

What is it like for schools to undergo the BSIS process? Discover the compelling journey of Blanka Cimcioch, International Accreditations Coordinator at Poznań University of Economics and Business, as she shares her insights on navigating the BSIS process, highlighting the challenges, seizing the opportunities, and reaping the rewarding results it has yielded. Read more.

For additional insights, announcements and perspectives, please visit the conversation on the Business School Impact System (BSIS).