We are delighted to announce that the School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has joined the BSIS community after completing the Business School Impact System (BSIS) assessment process. Congratulations to the school!

François Bonvalet, Director of BSIS, commented, ‘Congratulations to the School of Business and Economics at VU Amsterdam for earning the BSIS label! Their exceptional positive impact across a wide spectrum of areas, as recognised by the assessment, reflects their unwavering commitment to excellence and their profound influence on education, research, and the local business community. SBE’s dedication to making a meaningful difference in society is truly commendable.’

School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is a public research university offering a scientific and value-driven education with a profound social orientation. Since its foundation in 1880, it aims to seamlessly integrate education and research to foster multidisciplinary collaboration and develop sustainable solutions to current challenges under the mission: “Science with Purpose.”

Within VU, the School of Business and Economics (SBE) stands as a testament to this mission. The school is acknowledged for its high-level research, diversity, and teaching quality. Established in October 1948 with fewer than 100 students, it has grown significantly, currently enrolling more than 7000 learners. SBE boasts a diverse academic offering, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. programs to a diverse student body.

Impact Assessment

The Business School Impact System (BSIS) assessed SBE’s impact across various dimensions, pointing out its pivotal role in creating a positive impact within the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Being a research-intensive university, its intellectual impact is strong regionally, nationally, and internationally. The school prioritises research relevance and impact, consistently producing a high volume of journal publications and books across diverse topics. Moreover, SBE exerts a substantial direct and indirect financial influence, magnified by the Netherlands’ size, notably benefitting various sectors of the local economy. Additionally, the school distinguishes itself with a robust positive social impact, embedded in its practices through the integration of CSR and sustainable development principles. This commitment extends to the promotion of diversity and interculturality within both its faculty and student body.

‘The BSIS process has proven to be immensely valuable for our School. During the data-gathering process, we came to realize in which areas we were already doing well and in which areas there was room for improvement. The site visit by the two experts proved to be an enlightening experience for all those involved; it really showed the added value of the impact assessment carried out. The clear recommendations provided to us by the experts, therefore, give us excellent guidance on how to increase our impact in the coming years’, commented Arjen van Witteloostuijn, Dean, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics.

About BSIS

The Business School Impact System (BSIS) scheme is designed to determine the extent of a school’s impact on its local environment – the city or region in which it is located. The BSIS process is offered in collaboration between EFMD Global and FNEGE (Fondation Nationale pour l’Enseignement en Gestion des Entreprises), as a service to EFMD members in any part of the world. The impact of the business school is analysed based on the following seven areas of impact: financial, educational, business development impact as well as intellectual, societal, image, and impact within the impact zone selected by the school and its regional ecosystem.

There are currently 62 schools across 19 countries that have received the BSIS label.

To learn more about the impact assessment system, please visit the BSIS website or contact julie.comte@efmdglobal.org.

BSIS was launched ten years ago and has come a long way. Learn more about recent changes with the appointment of a new Director and the establishment of a Steering Committee.

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