School of Management again among best in the world
The University of Bradford continues to be ranked among the world’s best business schools after receiving an accreditation from a leading education alliance.
The School of Management is in the top six per cent of business schools in the world following its re-accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
The prestigious AACSB represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide and honours schools who produce highly-skilled graduates.
The University’s School of Management’s re-accreditation visit took place in May 2023. It involved students, staff and alumni being interviewed by a panel of three experienced deans from business schools in Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.
The panel looked at all aspects of the School of Management during their three-day visit including its mission, strategy, programme and research quality, financial sustainability, what is the student experience like, its staffing resources and what the School’s alumni have gone onto achieve during their own careers.
The School, which received its initial AASCB accreditation in 2012, was also commended for its civic commitment and the social impact, which is the work it does on business and community engagement.
AACSB International (AACSB) has extended the University of Bradford’s business accreditation. More than 1,000 schools in over 60 countries are now accredited by AACSB.
The University’s latest re-accreditation, which runs for the next five years, was confirmed on Friday 3 November.
Professor Sankar Sivarajah, Dean of the School of Management at the University of Bradford, pictured above, said: “It feels great that the hard work of the staff, students and alumni has been rewarded by an external body. There is a lot of teamwork, it takes a lot of people.
“It’s a sense of quality assurance that we are delivering programmes and courses that are fit for purpose and relevant for our students. Experts in the field also have reassurance that we are doing the right thing, helping to create future business leaders.
“The good thing is that the visit was from experienced deans from other business schools. They are looking out for what they can learn from us and giving us a fresh pair of eyes. It’s all about continuous improvement.”
The School of Management was one of 16 institutions that have extended their business accreditation from AACSB in the latest round of announcements.
This means that AACSB now has 1,004 accredited institutions in more than 60 countries and territories and 194 institutions with AACSB accreditation for accounting programmes.
Stephanie Bryant, executive vice president and global chief accreditation officer at AACSB, said: “AACSB congratulates each institution on achieving AACSB accreditation.
“The University of Bradford's School of Management has demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning. The intense peer-review process exemplifies their commitment to quality business education.”
The extension of the AACSB is the latest honour for the University’s School of Management, which is based in the Bright Building.
It boasts the triple-crown of accreditations - AACSB, Association of MBAs (AMBA) and European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) - which have only been awarded to less than one per cent of business schools in the world.
The School of Management is celebrating its 60th anniversary throughout 2023. A number of events are taking place to mark the milestone. These include a management lecture on Wednesday 15 November between 15:00 and 16:30 in the University’s Norcroft Auditorium.
The lecture will be given by Merel Olgers, who graduated from the School of Management in 2010 and is now Director of People and Culture at Universal Music Group, with a remit of leading cultural change.
Her lecture, ‘People as the Core of Responsible Management’, will see her offer an insight into what she has learned during her career.
The School of Management was named Business School of the Year in the 2021 Times Higher Education Awards.
It runs courses including an MSc in Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics which led to the University of Bradford having the most AI graduates in the UK.
AACSB, which was set up in 1916, is the world’s largest business education alliance, which brings together educators, learners, and business to help produce the next generation of leaders.