August 1,
2017, Cairo – The School of Business at The American University in Cairo (AUC) was re-accredited by the three most prestigious
international business and management education associations: the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA)
and the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) systems. Only 77 business
schools — representing 1 percent of leading business institutions worldwide
—received the three distinguished accreditations, known as the Triple Crown. Since
first achieving the Triple Crown accreditation three years ago, AUC’s School of
Business became the first in the Middle East and third in Africa to obtain all
three renowned recognitions.
“Maintaining the Triple Crown accreditation confirms the
academic leadership of AUC’s School of Business in Egypt, the Arab region,
Africa and the world,” said Interim Dean Nizar Becheikh. “It represents a
clear vote of confidence in the school's strategy, governance and rigorous
continuous improvement processes, as well as recognition of the cutting-edge
quality of our programs, the high caliber and practical relevance of our
research, the deep impact our community has on the business world, and the fostering
of corporate engagement in Egypt, the Arab region and beyond."
This exceptional accreditation granted to AUC’s School of
Business motivates undergraduate students in pursuing the job market and
applying for graduate studies. “Students know the school is going to meet a
certain level of learning, faculty excellence and engagement with business as
part of its holistic educational experience,” said Khaled Samaha, chair of
the Department of Accounting.
Over 60 years old and offering an array of programs and methods
that provide real-life experience, interdisciplinary approaches to business and
innovative entrepreneurial knowledge, AUC’s School of Business earned in 2006
the AACSB reaccreditation, which was renewed in 2011 and again in February 2017
for five years. Established in 1916, AACSB is the largest business education
alliance worldwide. The school’s undergraduate programs in accounting, business
administration, and management of information and communication technology, as
well as the graduate program in business administration, have all received this
accreditation.
Moreover according to AUC’s Office of Academic Assessment and
Accreditation, only 5 percent of business schools receive AACSB’s official
recognition, while AUC is the only University in Egypt and one of 18 in the
Middle East and North Africa region to achieve University-wide accreditation.
Currently, 785 business schools worldwide are AACSB-accredited. "The
renewal of the AACSB accreditation is an exciting endeavor; it makes me even
more confident of my choice to pursue higher education at AUC’s School of
Business," said MBA student Nazly Hussein Said.
AUC’s School of Business has also been granted the EQUIS
accreditation in 2014 and received its first reaccreditation in March 2017,
further validating the quality of the school’s programs. The EQUIS
accreditation, run by the European Foundation for Management Development
(EFMD), is one of the most comprehensive ways to certify the quality of a
business school, as it involves an extensive self-assessment by the school and
monitoring of its academic programs at all degree levels. The evaluation
usually looks at how the school can maintain its standards and, more
importantly, how it has progressed over its most recent period of
accreditation.
Specific to graduate studies, the AMBA system was established in
1967, and thus far, about 200 graduate business schools globally are accredited
by it. One of the highest levels of achievement in postgraduate business
education, AMBA represents a global standard for MBA, Doctor of Business
Administration and Master of Business Management programs.
First granted the AMBA accreditation in 2014, AUC’s School of
Business received five-year unconditional renewal of its AMBA accreditation in
May 2017. The criteria AUC has met for AMBA include institutional integrity,
faculty quality, program design, leadership, graduate attributes, learning
outcomes and curriculum breadth and depth.
A tangible advantage of AMBA is that accredited schools, by
default, become members of the association. This is particularly beneficial to
AUC students, as it exposes them to a vast network of professionals in their
fields. “Accreditation and international activities and exposure are
simply what keep the school competitive,” said student Walid Abou ElNour,
president of AUC’s Business Association. “They make us know that our University
is at par with the ones abroad. We all have to contribute to maintaining [this]
as a collective effort.”
Echoing similar
sentiments, Nellie El Enany, assistant professor of organization studies in the
Department of Management, said “The successful international reaccreditation of
AUC’s School of Business demonstrates the exceptional standards of teaching and
research provided by its high-caliber faculty to its students and the
wider academic community.”
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