Tuesday 1 December 2009 3:01pm
The University of Otago's School of Business has been re-accredited with the highly respected international EQUIS accreditation.
EQUIS is a stringent European quality standard held by only 118 business schools in 34 countries. The EQUIS emblem identifies business schools as having world-class faculty, resources and facilities, and assures that current and prospective students are receiving world-class education.
School of Business Dean, Professor George Benwell, said the School was delighted to receive confirmation that EQUIS accreditation had been secured for another three years.
"EQUIS re-accreditation confirms Otago is at the forefront of international business education. The School is one of only approximately 50 business schools worldwide to gain both the highly respected EQUIS and the North American AACSB accreditations.
"The re-accreditation reflects the international quality of the teaching, research and facilities available at Otago."
To qualify for EQUIS accreditation, the School underwent a rigorous process of formal self-review and evaluation by a Peer Review Team of deans from accredited schools.
The Peer Review Team consisted of: Professor Peter Little, Dean, Queensland University of Technology, Australia; Professor Bob Galliers, Provost and VP Academic Affairs, Bentley University, USA; Professor Jean-Pierre Helfer, Dean of Audencia, Nantes, France; and industry representative Mr Lee Dalgleish, an HR consultant from the UK.
Panel members assessed the School against international criteria for business education quality. They interviewed staff, students and external stakeholders. The panel also examined curriculum delivery, research quality, and how the School connects with the business sector.
"I sincerely thank all staff within the School and wider University who work so hard every day to ensure our students and researchers achieve great results. Retaining EQUIS accreditation was certainly a team effort and confirms the School's position as a top international business school.
"The review panel highlighted the many excellent activities the School undertakes, such as internationalisation of the faculty, the high quality of research and teaching, integration of new technologies, as well as having legitimacy within the national context. The panel also identified areas where we can improve. I'm excited about exploring their recommendations further in the coming months," says Professor Benwell.
For more information, contact
Professor George Benwell
Dean,
University of Otago School of Business
Tel 64 3 479 8115
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