EQUIS Accreditation awarded to five international business schools

9 January 2026|Mishell Armas|

We are delighted to announce that PSB Paris School of Business, France, the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, India, Management Development Institute Gurugram, India, Cork University Business School at University College Cork, Ireland, and Wits Business School at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, have obtained EQUIS Accreditation. Warm congratulations to all five schools!

Alfons Sauquet, Quality Services and EQUIS Director, commented, “Congratulations to all five schools on achieving EQUIS Accreditation, representing institutions across Asia, Africa, and Europe. These schools demonstrate, each in its own context, a clear commitment to quality and societal impact. Through the accreditation process, they have provided evidence of strategic focus, academic rigour, and engagement with practice, as well as an ability to develop in a consistent and sustainable manner. Their accreditation reflects both their commitment to excellence and ambition for continued development.”

Cork University Business School, University College Cork, Ireland

The Cork University Business School operates within University College Cork’s College of Business and Law and was formally recognised as a standalone business school in 2015. However, its academic heritage dates back more than 150 years to the founding of UCC in 1845. Today, CUBS represents a central component of the University’s academic offering and operates at a level consistent with a long-standing tradition of international-class teaching and research. It is one of the two largest business schools in Ireland, with the largest number of full-time undergraduate students. Its mission centres on fostering an inclusive environment where impactful research and learning develop future leaders capable of transforming business for a more sustainable society. The EQUIS accreditation recognised the quality of CUBS, emphasising its close regional ties and the contribution of its research in strengthening the School’s engagement with its community.

“The EQUIS accreditation affirms the strength of our mission to shape leaders for a sustainable future. We are especially pleased that the peer review team highlighted our leadership in responsible management education and gender equality, and for our key strength in how we integrate managerial skills development with deep connections to industry and the professional community. EQUIS provided us with the platform to truly reflect on who we are as a school, and how we can continue to progress through having a positive impact locally, nationally, and internationally. It is a collective achievement—made possible by the dedication of our staff, students, alumni, and partners around the world. My thanks to everyone for your continued commitment and support. We are immensely proud of our community and what this accreditation represents for the present and the future ambitions of Cork University Business School,” said Anthony McDonnell, Dean, Cork University Business School.

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, India

Established in 1984, the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow is among India’s leading management institutions and an integral part of the IIM network. Over the past four decades, the Institute has strengthened its standing through its contributions to management education and research, alongside a sustained focus on societal value. Its mission is centred on enhancing management systems across business, industry and public services through excellence in education, research, consultancy, and capacity building. Within India’s higher education landscape, IIM Lucknow is recognised for its academic rigour, ethical leadership orientation, and continued development. The EQUIS accreditation commended the school’s strong national reputation, reflected in the calibre of its student body.

Management Development Institute, Gurugram, India

Founded in 1972, the Management Development Institute in Gurugram is one of India’s leading management institutes, renowned for its academic excellence, close industry engagement, and international standing. MDI is a standalone private not-for-profit graduate school, founded by and continuing to operate under the auspices of public sector organisations, particularly within the financial industry. The school’s mission emphasises global recognition, academic excellence across research, consulting, training, and teaching, continuous innovation, the development of socially responsible leaders, and the promotion of sustainable decision-making. The EQUIS accreditation particularly highlighted the School’s quality, reflected in its strong national reputation and in the effective management of its executive education portfolio, notably its customised programmes.

“We are privileged to receive EQUIS accreditation from EFMD Global, a globally recognised hallmark of excellence in management education. This achievement reaffirms MDI Gurgaon’s mission to develop competent, responsible, and socially sensitive leaders through rigorous education, impactful research, and meaningful engagement with industry and society. The EQUIS framework has played a pivotal role in guiding the Institute along its strategic path. More than an evaluative exercise, the process enabled structured self-reflection, strengthened alignment between mission and practice, and provided a robust lens to assess our academic quality, governance, internationalisation, assurance of learning, and societal impact. The peer review process, in particular, offered valuable insights that have informed our long-term strategic priorities and reinforced our commitment to continuous improvement.

This milestone is a collective accomplishment of our faculty, professional staff, students, alumni, Board members, and institutional partners, whose dedication and shared values define the character and credibility of MDI. As we join the global EQUIS community, we look forward to deepening international collaboration, advancing responsible management education, and contributing thoughtfully to business, policy, and society in alignment with our mission”, expressed Arvind Sahay, Director, Management Development Institute Gurgaon.

PSB Paris School of Business, France

Paris School of Business is a state-recognised Grande École located in the heart of Paris and a member of the Galileo Global Education group. Over recent years, the School has developed a broad portfolio of programmes spanning undergraduate education, pre- and post-experience Master’s, MBA and DBA provision. In September 2025, PSB relocated to its new Delta Campus, a 16,000-square-metre facility designed to support contemporary learning and research. The School’s vision emphasises the development of globally minded leaders capable of transforming complexity into opportunity through cross-disciplinary skills and multicultural experience. The EQUIS accreditation particularly recognised the school’s quality, reflected in its strong links with the regional community and reinforced by the relevance of its research.

“We are honoured to have received the prestigious EQUIS accreditation, which recognises our commitment to excellence in management education. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire community—faculty, staff, students, and alumni. It underscores our ongoing efforts to maintain high standards in teaching, research, and societal impact. We remain focused on fostering a global perspective, innovation, and responsible leadership, ensuring our graduates are prepared to excel in an ever-changing world. The EQUIS accreditation inspires us to continue our journey towards academic excellence and to strengthen our position as a leading business school globally”, remarked Olivier Aptel, Dean and Director General, Paris School of Business.

Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Wits Business School is the graduate school of business administration of the University of the Witwatersrand, a leading research-intensive university based in Johannesburg, the financial hub of southern Africa. Founded in 1968, Wits Business School is among the oldest and most respected business schools on the African continent and continues to evolve through innovation in teaching and research. The School offers the widest range of specialist Master of Management programmes in South Africa and demonstrates strong, regionally relevant research, including in emerging fields such as digital business, energy leadership and African philanthropy. The EQUIS accreditation highlights the school’s strong orientation towards ethics, responsibility and sustainability, recognising Wits Business School as a purpose-driven institution with clear societal impact and regional leadership.

“As Wits Business School, we are honoured to have been awarded EQUIS accreditation, a recognition that affirms Wits Business School’s commitment to academic excellence, ethical leadership, and meaningful engagement with industry and society. Our EQUIS accreditation is a significant achievement which underscores the strength of our school’s programmes, governance, and global orientation. It reinforces the value of our qualifications and our dedication to shaping responsible and future-ready leaders,” commented Maurice Radebe, Director and Head of School, Wits Business School, “This achievement reflects the collective effort of our faculty, professional staff, students, alumni, and partners, and reinforces our dedication to continuous improvement and global standards in business education. We value our association with EFMD Global and look forward to contributing actively to the international EQUIS community over the next accreditation cycle.”

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

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 234 EQUIS-accredited schools across 45 countries globally.

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