Abu Dhabi University’s College of Business has become the first and only higher education institution in the Middle East to get international academic accreditation from the ‘EQUIS’, the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration.

Abu Dhabi University’s executive board chairman Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri said the recognition is a ‘major milestone’ and shows the keenness of the university to continue its journey of academic excellence and scientific leadership.

“With this international accreditation, Abu Dhabi University’s College of Business joins the elite 1 per cent of top business schools worldwide who have been accredited by both EQUIS (Europe) and AACSB (the US). This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the university administration to hire qualified faculty and staff. The faculty has proved they are delivering very high standards of education. This is not only a testament to the quality of our academic programmes, students and faculty, but it also demonstrates the college’s dedication to effectively disseminate knowledge to the community, focusing on executive education to enhance corporate connections, and a clearly articulated strategy and policies for internationalisation. This recognition applies for all programmes being offered at the college,” he said at a Press conference in Abu Dhabi.

The European Foundation for Management Development’s EQUIS provides a reliable indication of international quality in business and management education, a significant level of internationalisation, and integration with the corporate world.

University interim provost Dr Aly Nazmy said the accreditation is a ‘top achievement’ for a business school.

“We can proudly stand among top peers in Europe that have received this accreditation including: London Business School, Insead, Rotterdam School of Management, IMD, IESE, Aalto University School of Business and many others. The fact that ADU achieved this accreditation within one year as opposed to the average of three years speaks volumes, and we are proud that we managed to add such a significant achievement to ADU’s already ever-growing record of accomplishments.”

Dean of ADU’s College of Business Administration Dr Jacob Chacko said the accreditation helped the business college build on strong academic programmes by prompting the faculty to develop close linkages to corporations, practitioners, international universities to develop partnerships.

International partnerships with well-known universities in the US and Australia have already resulted in dual degree programmes, student exchanges, study abroad programmes, international faculty exchanges and joint research projects.

“Throughout their visits, the EQUIS peer-review team were impressed with many of the college’s collegial environment, focus on business sustainability, the innovative programmes that cater to the needs of the labour market, as well as the college’s corporate connections with various industries which ensures a balance between achieving international academic standards while maintaining professional relevance to the corporate world. EQUIS opens up new horizons for students and graduates and gives them the unique opportunity of leveraging their internationally recognised degree to gain a foothold in global companies and organisations.”