MOOCs are on the Move: A Snapshot of the Rapid Growth of MOOCs

A White Paper by Dr Lindsay Ryan - January 2013

What are MOOCs
MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses and they are rapidly changing the game for higher education, executive education and employee development generally. MOOCs offer free online courses covering a growing range of topics delivered by qualified lecturers from some of the most well-known universities in the world. In this age of lifelong learning, MOOCs are a means of providing learning and development to virtually everyone, anytime, anywhere in the world with internet access.

This paper presents a snapshot of current developments in MOOCs, noting that MOOCs have really only gathered momentum in the past year and are constantly developing and evolving almost on a weekly basis.

Background
The original concept for a MOOC came from academic research in the early 1960s with the idea that people could be linked by a series of computers to listen, discuss and learn about a particular topic. Now, continuous development in technology has become the enabler for virtually everybody in the world to have access to a broad and diverse range of education and learning topics.

MOOCs provide free online courses that enable people with an interest in a selected topic to study and learn through interaction with others also interested in the same topic. Other participants could be from the same organisation, city or region, learning together with people from other organisations, cities, regions and countries from around the world. MOOCs are the internet equivalent of distance education and there could be 1,000 or 100,000 participants in a single course.

MOOCs create the opportunity for vast numbers of people across the world to access learning through quality courses, content and lecturers that most would never have access to. For many people, further and higher education can seem overwhelming or beyond them. MOOCs open a world of opportunity for people in remote areas and developing countries as well as people with aspirations to achieve more with their lives. MOOCs are changing the traditional nature of education mainly being for the affluent and elite to being free and accessible to virtually everybody.

The growth of MOOCs is phenomenal. During the three months from mid-October to mid-January, including the quiet period for learning and development over Christmas-New Year, one major player, Coursera, continued to grow at the rate of 6,900 new participants (Courserians) PER DAY. Anything that grows at such a rate cannot be ignored and Coursera is just one of an increasing number of MOOC providers bringing together a diverse and expanding range of open online courses.

MOOCs started as a form of collaborative online learning with people interacting and learning from each other and being exposed to different perspectives, views and ideas. Over the past year, MOOCs have started to move to the mainstream and increasingly resembling more traditional courses, especially as a significant number of MOOCs are shorter versions of many traditional courses, and often delivered by highly qualified professors and academics whose research and academic expertise underpins the course on a MOOC.

Some of the MOOCs, such as EdX, continually research their courses to better understand how participants learn and explore ways of using the technology to transform and further enhance the learning and online experience for the participants.

Major MOOCs
Coursera (www.coursera.org), established by two Stanford University professors, is currently the biggest MOOC platform providing 212 different courses in such areas as: economics and business, computer sciences, biology, social sciences, music and film, medicine, health, food and nutrition, physical and earth sciences. Coursera has a consortium of 33 of the most well-known and highly regarded universities in the world delivering free online courses including Harvard, Stanford, Pennsylvania, Washington, London, Edinburgh, Toronto and Melbourne.

Udacity (www.udacity.com) has a focus on computer science courses and provides a range of topics from beginner courses to intermediate and advanced courses.

EdX (www.edx.org), owned by the prestigious academic institutions Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, draws content from a selection of their highly regarded courses.

Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org) is a MOOC platform for young learners from kindergarten to Year 12 with courses centred on mathematics and science: biology, chemistry and physics, as well as some elements of economics and history.

FutureLearn (www.futurelearn.com) is the newest significant player reflecting how MOOCs are constantly changing. FutureLearn comprises a consortium of 12 major UK universities including The Open University, which has considerable experience in distance and online education, Birmingham, Warwick, Cardiff, Leeds, Bristol and St Andrews. Their web site is live but the courses and content are still being developed.

In addition, many high profile and elite universities are now offering their standard courses as open courses where people can watch the lectures online and access course slides and materials. To achieve the formal qualification people need to apply and enrol with the respective universities, pay the program fees and satisfactorily complete the assessment requirements associated with each course.

Participating in a MOOC
Participants complete a simple online registration for a course that interests them. They might want to learn more about a particular topic or it could be an introduction to consider a future study option or a possible formal university program or career direction. Each course on a MOOC is open for people over the age of 18 and, with parental approval, young learners over the age of 13. Coursera also asks participants to agree to an honour code that all the homework, quizzes and exams is their own work and that they won’t cheat or do anything that could dishonestly improve their results or dishonestly affect another person’s results.

When registering for a MOOC, participants are advised they are registering for a course and not enrolling with any of the universities delivering the courses. The courses are free and most materials and notes can be down-loaded from the course site. Occasionally other resources are recommended, such as additional books and reference materials for particular courses which can be purchased, but they are rarely prescribed as part of a course. A growing number of MOOCs offer a certificate signed by the lecturer once participants satisfactorily complete the course and there may be a fee for the certificate.

Until recently MOOCs have not provided participants with credit for further or higher education programs. However this is an area many universities are now considering, especially as one university in the US, Antioch University in Los Angeles, has started providing credit for selected MOOCs into specified college courses. Many overseas participants, especially in India, are seeking credit for their studies through MOOCs. While most MOOCs incorporate regular self-tests, projects and compulsory exams, universities are still exploring how participants can demonstrate mastery of a topic in order to be able to grant credit for the MOOC study. The American Council on Education is currently investigating a means of accrediting selected MOOCs for credit towards higher education courses.

How MOOCs Work
MOOCs allow a single teacher/lecturer to teach thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of participants in a single course delivery. With this size class, there is little participant contact with the lecturers, although some have scheduled times when they join online forums with participants to discuss various aspects of a course or provide further explanation on a topic.

MOOCs are often four to six weeks duration and the course format involves participants watching a series of short videos prepared by the lecturer detailing a particular topic theme for each of the specified weeks of the course. The format uses asynchronous learning so that participants can view the video at times that best suit them as well as their time zone. During each topic there are usually online tests that allow participants to respond and check their understanding of the concept or information presented.

In some courses participants are required to write an essay or more detailed response instead of an online multiple choice exam. In these cases, some MOOCs arrange for participants to forward their papers to five other participants for peer assessment and marking. This approach allows each participant to receive feedback and critique from five other participants. A lecturer may moderate an assessment where the spread of grades is diverse or a particular participant has a reputation for marking harshly.

The key to MOOC success is interaction among participants. Participants have interactive online tests during a course and then they will often post comments in online forums. Some MOOC lecturers try to organise face-to-face study groups in various physical locations or separate online forums for participants to promote learning and understanding through the sharing of ideas, perspectives and experiences with other participants.

MOOCs are based on Connectivism principles where learning and knowledge is created through connecting different people with a diversity of opinions. Technology is the enabler for MOOCs and with the growing use of smart phones and mobile computing, participants can maintain on-going connection with their MOOC class and interaction with other participants when they are at work, home, travelling and at any time of the day.

The Significance of MOOCs

• MOOCs are accessible to virtually everybody who has access to the internet and the courses are free. This means there is no direct cost for a participant to explore a potential new area of interest or learning;
• Learning occurs at times and locations that best suit the participant;
• Participants interact with other people with a shared interest and are exposed to a diverse range of perspectives and ideas that can stimulate reflection and further interest in a topic;
• Being part of a global class, participants can gain insight into attitudes, ideas, and trends among different populations and countries on a particular topic;
• The continuing growth in the number of MOOCs will lead to significant choice and options for free online courses. This will allow learning and development to be tailored to the needs and/or interests of each participant;
• MOOCs open a world of learning possibilities and promote lifelong learning for all those who are interested, able and motivated to participate;
• Although some critics of MOOCs claim there is a low completion rate for courses, this has more positives than negatives. It means that people are interested in the concept of MOOCs and willing to investigate online learning, which most people would not have experienced previously. It also means that people have the opportunity to explore a topic without being committed to it and incurring significant costs as happens with many undergraduate programs.
• Those people participating in a MOOC who do not complete a course are not precluding somebody else who wanted to participate but did not meet the selection criteria or cut-off levels.

Implications of MOOCs
Participants:

• The opportunity to learn something new or completely different from their normal discipline;
• The opportunity to appraise higher education or a specific topic without the need to apply and enrol with an educational institution and incur course fees;
• The opportunity to learn through interacting with other participants from diverse backgrounds, experiences and countries;
• Everybody has an equal opportunity to interact online compared to on-campus lectures which some participants find intimidating speaking or asking questions in large groups;
• MOOCs could be used as an introduction to certain topics that lead to further study and possibly advanced standing in further education programs, subject to assessment of mastery at a prescribed level. This could reduce the duration and costs associated with completing a formal qualification.

Higher Education Providers:

• Some higher education providers may see MOOCs as a threat, particular those who regard lectures and course materials as their intellectual property and only accessible to fee paying students;
• Other higher education providers will see MOOCs as the opportunity to showcase some of their courses and use the MOOCs as a means of attracting new participants to undertake studies;
• Need to develop a system for assessing student mastery of certain MOOCs and provide credit or advanced standing for participants applying for higher education programs. Participants completing a number of MOOCs and able to demonstrate mastery of the topic also demonstrate commitment to study and are likely to complete formal qualifications;
• Should promote the environment and resources of their university, student experience and value of the qualification for participants who progress from a MOOC to enrolling in a formal university program.

Industry:

• Employers could utilise MOOCs as part of the learning and development of employees. Those employees that show real interest, commitment and motivation for certain areas of studying could then be supported by their employer to enrol in further studies in areas relating to their employment and career development;
• Some organisations and industries could use a series of MOOCs, selecting the most appropriate courses from a number of MOOC aggregators, as a pre-qualification for people applying to work in a particular industry, in addition to or instead of a university degree.

Employee Development Potential
MOOCs provide employers with the opportunity to develop an integrated organisation development plan and tailor a learning and development plan for each employee. Such a plan might comprise:

• One or a series of MOOCs on topics relevant to each employee’s development needs;
• Work-based projects that enable employees to learn and immediately apply their learning, which promotes greater understanding of concepts and better retention of the learning;
• A mentor for each employee to discuss their work-based projects, workplace issues and career development options;
• TED videos (Ideas Worth Spreading) to stimulate ideas, thinking and discussion within an organisation and/or workgroup;
• YouTube-Education videos with specific topics and speakers used for employees to watch and then discuss or lead discussions with work colleagues.

The above integrated approach to employee learning and skills development could apply to all employees, from frontline, through supervisor and middle management, up to senior managers and executives.

Final Comment
MOOCs have been described in some circles as the biggest development in education for 200 years. It would appear that MOOCs are a win-win for participants, higher education providers and industry.

However, the unanswered question is: if MOOCs are free how do they pay for themselves? At this stage the universities involved in launching MOOCs seem to be following the approach adopted by one of the most successful companies of the digital age: Google. As identified by Jeff Jarvis, Google banks users, not money. When Google rolls-out a new product they worry about whether they will have users. If they have users, the money will follow (Jarvis, Jeff, (2009) What Would Google Do?, HarperCollins, New York).

About the Author
Dr Lindsay Ryan is Director of Corporate Education Advisers.
Lindsay is a thought leader, adviser and mentor to organisations assisting with organisational development and employee learning that enables organisations to develop their capability and capacity. Utilising leading-edge research, Lindsay assists organisations adopt a strategic approach to their corporate education to ensure employee training and development aligns with their goals and strategic direction. Based in Adelaide, Australia, Lindsay’s work is highly regarded internationally and he is also Visiting Fellow in Corporate Education with Birmingham City Business School in the United Kingdom.

CONTACT DETAILS:
(61) 0418 809 170
Lindsay@corpedadvisers.com.au

2013 EFMD Higher Education Research Conference

We have great pleasure in inviting you to register for the 2013 EFMD Higher Education Research Conference that will be hosted by the Université Paris Dauphine in Paris on the 23 - 24 May, 2013.
The theme for the conference will be - read more

Purpose, Performance and Impact of Higher Education Institutions and Business Schools

The conference will bring together researchers with a focus on higher education and a specific interest in business schools to discuss their original work. The papers selected to be presented will focus on the following themes:

• Impact of HEIs and business schools (economic, political, social, cultural)
• Mergers and strategic alliances of HEIs and business schools
• Measurement and determinants of performance of HEIs and business schools

We are also proud to announce that three prestigious scholars from the field will present keynote speeches at the conference:

• Jordi Canals, Dean of IESE Business School is one of the leading thinkers worldwide on the future of business schools and the future of the management profession. Keynote speech: The Impact of Business Schools on Society.
  
  
• Ellen Hazelkorn, Director of Research and Enterprise, and Dean of the Graduate Research School, Dublin Institute of Technology, also leads the Higher Education Policy Research Unit. Ellen is a consultant to the OECD Programme on Institutional Management of Higher Education, a member of the Board of the Higher Education Authority and is also associated with the International Association of Universities. Keynote speech: Globalisation and Competitiveness: Challenges to the Purpose, Performance and Impact of Higher Education.
  
  
• Ken Starkey, Professor of Management and Organisational Learning at Nottingham University Business School, an author of numerous articles on management education and a regular commentator and consultant on leadership issues. Keynote speech: Institutionalising the Business School/Deconstructing the Business School.

For further information and to register, please visit www.efmd.org/herc2013

We are looking forward to meeting you in Paris.

• Andrew Pettigrew, Professor of Strategy and Organisation, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
• Ulrich Hommel, Director, EFMD Research and Surveys Unit, Professor of Finance, EBS Business School, Germany

Management Capacity as the Key to Europe’s Future?

EFMD offers an open invitation to a High Level Workshop on April 23 at EFMD in Brussels.
Europe has enormous wealth in terms of intellectual, scientific, cultural and human resources. Yet, it is in danger of becoming a secondary region, as we seem to be incapable of bringing our strength to bear.

EFMD would like to warmly congratulate the: School of Business, Hong Kong Baptist University and the School of Economics and Management, Tongji University who have just been awarded EQUIS accreditation. This takes the number of accredited schools to 142 across 39 countries.

Professor Stephen Cheung, Dean of the School of Business at HKBU said, "EQUIS accreditation marks the School’s entrance into the elite circle of business education and we are very proud to join the EQUIS community of business schools throughout the world,dedicated to high-quality business education, research and consultancy services. This international recognition attests to our commitment to strengthen and integrate business ethics, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility into our pedagogical and research agenda. The School of Business is now among the very few of the world's business schools to be triple-accredited," The newly-acquired EQUIS accreditation further affirms the School's reputation and determination in providing high-quality business education in an ever-changing global economy.

"EQUIS accreditation is a very effective catalyzer for the globalisation of business schools. The accreditation of Tongji SEM is a great milestone on its expedition to becoming a world class business school for building a sustainable society," said Prof. Jiazhen Huo, Dean, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University.

Prof. Michael Osbaldeston, the EFMD Director of Quality Service added, "We are delighted to welcome the HKBU and Tongji SEM into the EQUIS community. Accreditation from EFMD is one of the best and most complete ways to certify the actual quality of a business school as accreditation involves an extensive self-assessment by the school, the visit of an international review team who spend several days interviewing many different people in the School, and finally a very experienced jury evaluating the assessment and findings of the review team to determine whether the School should be granted accreditation. There are currently no substitutes for such an in-depth assessment of quality and HKBU and Tongji SEM should be commended for their commitment to excellence."

EQUIS is not primarily focused on the MBA or any other specific programme as its scope covers all of programmes offered by an institution from the first degree up to the Ph.D. Institutions that are accredited by EQUIS must demonstrate not only high general quality in all dimensions of their activities, but also a high degree of internationalisation. With companies recruiting worldwide, with students choosing to get their education outside their home countries, and with schools building alliances across borders and continents, there is a rapidly growing need for them to be able to identify those institutions in other countries that deliver high quality education in international management. EQUIS also believes that business schools should be as closely connected to the real world of business as schools of medicine are to working hospitals. There must be a balance between high academic quality and the professional relevance provided by close interaction with the corporate world. EQUIS attaches particular importance to the development of managerial and entrepreneurial skills and fosters a students sense of global responsibility.

More information on EQUIS is available at www.efmd.org/equis

EFMD would like to warmly congratulate the following schools who have recently been awarded EPAS Accreditation -

• Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, Australia
  Master of Business Administration
  Bachelor of Commerce    
       
  
• HEC Management School, University of Liege, Belgium  
  Master in Business Engineering 

The Master in Business Engineering is the third programme at HEC-ULg to receive EPAS, following the successful accreditation of the Master in Management Sciences and Doctoral Programme in 2011.

"Accrediting our Master in Business Engineering was key for its international recognition. This third EPAS accredited programme at HEC-ULg, at the crossroad between quantitative analysis, technology and management, perfectly demonstrates that EFMD embraces diversity in education and academic innovation". Dr. Thomas Froehlicher, Director General & Dean Full Professor, Accenture Chair in Sustainable Strategy

“We are very proud of the EPAS accreditation that has recently been awarded to Deakin University’s Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce.   Both programs have a reputation for delivering business education in a cutting-edge experiential and blended learning environment.  For the Faculty of Business and Law, the EPAS process encourages a rigorous strategic focus on our flagship programs and allows us to benchmark these programs internationally to ensure best practice.   EPAS also ensures that our pursuit of continuous improvement is embedded in an externally validated cycle of reviews.  We look forward to partnering with EFMD as we continue to drive an agenda of excellence in all the Faculty’s activities.”  Professor Gael McDonald, Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, Australia

The EPAS process considers a wide range of programme aspects including:

1.    The market positioning of the programme nationally and internationally
2.    The strategic position of the programme within its institution
3.    The design process including assessment of stakeholder requirements – particularly students and employers
4.    The programme objectives and intended learning outcomes
5.    The curriculum content and delivery system
6.    The extent to which the programme has an international focus and a balance between academic and managerial dimensions
7.    The depth and rigour of the assessment processes (relative to the degree level of the programme)
8.    The quality of the student body and of the programme’s graduates
9.    The institution’s resources allocated to support the programme
10.    The appropriateness of the faculty that deliver the programme
11.    The quality of the alumni and their career progression

EPAS has established itself as EFMD's Programme Accreditation system, next to the well-known EQUIS system, EFMD’s institutional accreditation service.  The feedback from the market has been tremendously positive, which is clearly reflected by the EPAS numbers after only 6 years of regular operation. Currently we have 76 accredited programmes from 58 institutions in 25 countries.  26% of the total are (E)MBAs, 28% are Masters, 29% are Bachelors, 3% are Doctoral Programmes and 14% are non-Bologna country-specific programmes. For more information on EPAS visit www.efmd.org/epas

The 2013 EFMD Conference for International, External & Corporate Relations, Marketing, PR, Communication and Alumni professionals

will be hosted by the Hong Kong Baptist University in Hong Kong, on the 14-15 March 2013. Registration is now open.

Join colleagues and peers from over 20 different countries to network, share ideas and make new connections. Schools already registered include: HEC Paris, Monash, QUT, RSM, MIP-Politecnico di Milano, Asian Institute of Management, University of Edinburgh Business School, Leeds University Business School, Nyenrode Business Universiteit, EADA, Toulouse Business School, Tsinghua University, Lingnan (University) College, Nottingham Trent University, Audencia Nantes School of Management, EDHEC, Hanyang University, Aston Business School, ESCP Europe, HKUST Business School, KAIST and more.

The organizing committee has chosen to investigate, discuss and explore the theme of: Bridging the “Gap” – Awareness and Collaboration between Europe and Asia and has put together an exceptional programme with high-class speakers including:

• Hong Kong as a Regional Education Hub
  Cherry Tse Ling Kit-Ching, Permanent Secretary for Education, Education Bureau, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, HK, CN 
  
  
• Trends
  Chris Tsang, Executive Director for MBA/MSc Programs, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, School of Business and Management, HK, CN
  Speaker to be announced from, KPMG Hong Kong, HK, CN
  
  
• Student Mobility
  Wei Shen, Associate Dean for China and Professor of International Affairs, ESSCA School of Management, FR
  Jane Delbene, Director of Marketing, EMEA, GMAC - Graduate Management Admission Council®, UK
  
  
• Cultural Understanding of International Collaboration
  Steven DeKrey, President, AIM - Asian Institute of Management, MY
  Karmen Yeung, Partner, China Tax, KPMG Hong Kong, HK, CN
  
  
• Community Relations and Engagement
  Carol Ma, Assistant Director, Office of Service-Learning and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University, CN

And much more…

You can view the complete conference programme online and see what is of interest for you. Moreover, some of you will be regular participants of the APAIE Conference (Asia-Pacific Association for International Education) and will be happy to learn that their 2013 conference will take place just before ours, also in Hong Kong. Hopefully this will allow you to attend both international events and make wise use of your time and trip to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is a fantastic venue and also home to EFMD’s Asia office, which was opened last year. Having a presence in Asia has lead to a significant increase in membership from the region so we really are hoping that this event will bring many opportunities to learn, share and form new alliances and partnerships.

I would like to invite you to join the EFMD External Relations group on LinkedIn which will help you build your own network and contacts across the EFMD network. If you have not yet joined please request to join the EFMD - External Relations group. You can also follow @EFMDnews on Twitter for news and updates from EFMD and the international network.

We hope that you will be able to join us in Hong Kong for what promises to be an exiting event! If you have any questions or require further information please contact Delphine HAUSPY delphine.hauspy@efmd.org

 

The Global Business School Network is once again challenging business and entrepreneurship students and recent graduates to show how they are using their business skills to make a difference in the developing world. The MBA+ Challenge Video Contest is now it its third year and has been opened up to ALL students, undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in addition to traditional MBAs.

The MBA+ Challenge Video Contest asks students to produce a short (3 minutes or less) video showing how they are using their business education to make a difference in the developing world through:

• New business ventures
• Student projects
• Volunteer work
• Impactful Careers

Any student who is currently in school or who has graduated in the past 5 years is eligible to enter.  The submission period for videos is March 1st – 31st with online voting from April 1 – 14th to  determine the top 5 videos.

The first prize is an all expenses paid trip for one team member to the GBSN Annual Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration in Tunisia June 10 – 12, 2013.  They’ll also be featured on GBSN’s website, have the opportunity to blog for nextbillion.net and get visibility for their work around the globe. The top 5 finalists as determined by online voting will each have the opportunity for an online mentoring session with a world leader in business or development. The distinguished list of mentors will be released soon, so stay tuned.

A panel of judges will then determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place videos from the 5 finalists.

Click here to watch the winning video from 2012 from Tuck School of Business students called "The $300 House Project"

Full details on how you can take part can be found via - www.gbsnonline.org/mbachallenge

It is my pleasure to give you some information about our Extraordinary General Assembly that took place at EFMD on November 22nd, 2012.

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to all the members who attended this assembly. I know that their time is precious and their agendas are very busy. Having them in Brussels demonstrated their commitment to EFMD. I would also like to thank all of the members who sent their proxies, to have their voice heard and to shape the future of our organisation. The Extraordinary General Assembly allowed us to present the evolution of EFMD over the last 10 years and to share with you our vision for the future and our strategy for EFMD development.

During the last 10 years, EFMD has seen uninterrupted growth, as well as unprecedented change in its membership. We have evolved from a predominantly European organisation into a truly  international one, as more and more institutions from all regions of the world are joining us and supporting our goals and values.

As you have been informed, EFMD Global Network, a non-for-profit organisation, has been created in Geneva. Its role is to accompany and facilitate the global development of EFMD. Becoming a member of EFMD Global Network is solely possible for EFMD members and you are all invited to join this new organisation.
 
This new structure, EFMD Global Network, will be responsible for the management of international offices in Asia (Hong-Kong) and the Americas (Miami), in order to offer our non-European members closer proximity and better targeted services. EFMD Brussels will maintain its historical stronghold, playing a key role in the heart of the network.

We see this evolution as a great opportunity to ensure a better visibility of the EFMD brand and activities worldwide. All EFMD members will have the possibility to join EFMD Global Network in Geneva. The 2013 membership fee for EFMD Global Network will be 1500 €.

We have taken careful steps to ensure that this dual membership will bear no financial consequences for our members. This is why we proposed a decrease in the EFMD membership fees for the members of EFMD Global Network, enabling them to be members of both institutions at no extra cost.

This was the object of the resolution that was voted on at the Extraordinary General Assembly and I am very pleased to say that this proposition was met by an overwhelming approval from the members.

Out of 547 voting members, 287 participated in the voting exercise, a number that far exceeded the 182 votes needed for quorum. It is a pleasure to announce that the outcome is 286 (99.65%) votes in favour of the resolution.

We remain at your entire disposal for any further information. Mayen Enodien (mayen.enodien@efmd.org) will be happy to answer any of your questions on these membership issues. 

We would like to thank all our members once more for their continuous support. We feel confident that this new step in our development will bring you a stronger network, better fitted to face the international challenges whilst providing you with more valuable services in the future.

Eric Cornuel, Director General & CEO, EFMD


Click here to view the photos from the Extraordinary General Assembly

The 2013 EFMD Deans & Directors General Conference, will be hosted by Koç University School of Business in Turkey on the 31st Jan – 1st Feb. This year EFMD and the organising committee has chosen to investigate, discuss and explore the theme of: Making Things Happen and has put together an exceptional programme with high-class speakers including:

• Developments Over the Past Five Years
  Paul Danos, Dean, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, USA
  Ben Glover, Regional Director, GMAC - Graduate Management Admission Council®, UK
  Monica Sacristán, Dean, Executive Development, ITAM Business School, ITAM - Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, MX
  Kwei Tang, University Chair and Dean, College of Commerce, National Chengchi University, TW
  Howard Thomas, Dean of Lee Kong Chian School of Business and LKCSB Chair of Strategic Management, Singapore Management University, SG
  
  
• Making Things Happen – Future of Business Education
  Dominique Turpin, President, IMD, CH
  Pankaj Ghemawat, Professor of Strategic Management, IESE Business School, ES
  Siwei Cheng, Dean, Management School of University of China Academy of Sciences, CN
  
  
• How to Approach the Digital Generation?
  James W. Dean Jr., Dean, Kenan-Flagler Business School, USA
  Andrew Crisp, Director, CarringtonCrisp Ltd., UK
  Moderated by Santiago Iñiguez, President IE University, Dean IE Business School, ES
  
  
• How to Manage Multiple Campuses?
  Susan Hart, Dean, Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, UK
  Alberto Grando, Dean, SDA Bocconi School of Management, IT
  
  
• Changes and Developments in Undergraduate Education
  Melanie Currie, Head of Undergraduate Programmes, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK
  Jon Erik Svendsen, Dean Bachelor, BI Norwegian Business School, NO

• Trends in MSc and MBA
  Kai Peters, Chief Executive, Ashridge, UK
  Julia Marsh, Executive Director, Masters in Management, London Business School, UK
  Moderated by Jane Delbene, Director of Marketing, EMEA, GMAC -  Graduate Management Admission Council®, UK
  
  
• What do Employers Expect in five years?
  Aysegul Aydin, Managing Partner, Heidrick and Stuggles, TK
  Aysegul Ildeniz, Regional Director, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Intel Corporation

The full programme is here - if you have any questions please contact Delphine HAUSPY delphine.hauspy@efmd.org

As in previous years, this conference will ONLY accept registrations for those with chief executive (top management) responsibility and authority in EFMD member business schools and centres. We will only accept the Dean of the school, the Director General, the President, the Rector or the Managing Director of the school itself.

The 2012 EFMD Excellence in Practice Awards winners include:  BAE Systems, Goldman Sachs, Leeds University Business School, Lonza, Merck, Saïd Business School, Siemens, the Wharton School and the University of St. Gallen.

The winning partnerships will be presenting their experiences via FREE webinars which you, your partners and peers are welcome to join.  Please feel free to pass this invitation on.

2012 Excellence in Practice Award Winners - Webinar Series
 
8 November 2012, at 2:30pm (CET): Merck and The Wharton School
“Merck Global Human Health Executive Development Programme””
Register for the webinar

20 November 2012, at 6:00pm (CET): BAE Systems & Saïd Business School
“Trusted, Innovative, Bold - Building Global Mindsets for a Global Future”
Register for the webinar

22 November 2012, at 10:00 (CET): Lonza & University of St.Gallen
“Business Unit Strategy at Lonza – Linking Executive Education and Strategy Development”
Register for the webinar

6 December 2012, at 10:00am (CET): Siemens & Siemens Learning Campus
"Senior Siemens Production System (SPS) Expert Program”
Register for the webinar

Online registration is required but all the webinars are free, however they do have a restricted number of seats with priority offered to EFMD members.


EFMD Global Focus Special Supplement - 2012 Excellence in Practice Winners
This special supplement is available online and features articles on the winning cases as well as executive summaries of the highly commended cases and observations and trends from all cases submitted. You can view and online copy here or download a copy here (pdf).
 
Join the 2013 Excellence in Practice Awards – Call for Papers now OPEN

Deadline for submission: 15 April 2013
Expression of interest: Florence Grégoire
More info: www.efmd.org/eip

Emerald and EFMD are delighted to announce the results of the 2012 Emerald/ EFMD MENA Management Research Fund Award.

There will be one award of £2,000 (or currency equivalent) for the winning research project, and two awards of £500 each for highly-commended runners up, to fund or part-fund these projects.

Many congratulations to:

• Dr. Birasnav Muthuraj
  School of Management, New York Institute of Technology, Kingdom of Bahrain
  "Transformational Leadership and Organizational Performance under Environmental Uncertainty: The Role of Supply Chain Management Practices"

Highly commended runner up prizes are awarded to:

• Dr Faruk Balli
  Suleyman Sah University, Turkey and Massey University, School of Economics and Finance, New Zealand
• Hatice Ozer Balli
  Suleyman Sah University, Turkey and Massey University, School of Economics and Finance, New Zealand
• Kemal Cebeci
  Marmara University, Turkey
  "Impacts of Exported Turkish Soap Operas and Visa-free Entry on Inbound Tourism to Turkey"
  
  
• Dr. Tim Rogmans
  Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  "Corporate Governance Practices and Corporate Performance in the MENA Region"

The winner will be invited to receive their award at the 2012 EFMD Conference in the MENA Region hosted by the Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut and will receive a complimentary delegate pass. The runners up will also be invited to attend the conference. In addition to the research fund, it is also hoped that the findings of the research can be published in one of Emerald’s many excellent management titles and be shared widely acrosss the EFMD network.

The Emerald/ EFMD MENA Management Research Fund Award will run Annual so more information on the 2013 Awards will be available early next year.

For further information contact:
Emma Stevenson, Emerald Head Office, UK
E-mail: estevenson@emeraldinsight.com
Tel: +44(0) 1274 785198

or Matthew Wood, EFMD
E-mail: matthew.wood@efmd.org
Tel: +32 2 629 08 10

The greatest danger in times of turbulence, is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic – Peter Drucker
 
At the core of the agenda of the 2012 Drucker Forum lie key questions about the future of capitalism: How can the weaknesses of the system be repaired without crushing the innovative energies of free enterprise and competitive markets? And what is the role of managers in this transformation?
 
Nobel Laureate Dan Shechtman will open the conference with his vision of creating a more peaceful world through entrepreneurship. He will be followed by Roger L. Martin, one of the global leaders of the “Thinkers 50,” who will lay out the unintended consequences of an excessive focus on shareholder value and provide clues about improving capitalism. In contrast, Adrian Wooldridge from The Economist will defend the benefits of the maximizing-shareholder-value philosophy.
 
Lynda Gratton from London Business School, along with other leading academics, will delve into the future of management—Management 2.0. Leading executives from global companies will provide their views on the viability of the traditional corporate model and offer lessons from other models such as cooperatives and employee-owned enterprises. Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, will tackle whether business can be a force for good. The full morning of Day 2 will be dedicated to the rise of social business and social entrepreneurship.
 
The younger generation will have a voice at the Forum as well: The winners of the Drucker Challenge Essay Contest will be recognized at the gala dinner and express their views at a dedicated session moderated by Julia Kirby, an editor at large for Harvard Business Review.
 
You can access the full program and register under the following link: http://www.druckerforum.org/2012/the-event/preliminary-program/.
 
The conference will be concluded by a fireworks of short “Vision Talks“ from leading thinkers: Umair Haque, Deepa Prahalad, Rick Wartzman, Roger L. Martin and Tammy Erickson.
 
Join us on November 15 and 16 in Vienna to participate in a global dialogue to shape the future of management and hence the future of society.
 
For further info: contact@druckerforum.org

If you have any questions concerning the Forum please contact - contact@druckersociety.eu

The Inspirational Guide for the Implementation of PRME: Placing sustainability at the heart of management education, created by the UN Global Compact initiative, Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) was presented at the Rio+20 Earth Summit in June 2012 and is now offered for sale in print for the first time by publishers, GSE Research.

The book features 63 case studies from 47 institutions, representing 25 countries across Asia, Oceania, Latin America, USA and Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The business schools’ experiences are classified into six sections, corresponding to the Six Principles of PRME (Purpose, Values, Method, Research, Partnership, and Dialogue) and offering useful advice on setting up and implementing specific aspects of each. This important compilation will be an inspiration for all forward-thinking Business Schools across the world, especially those who are keen to embrace the PRME principles and put sustainability at the heart of their operations.

“Seeking to inspire the further integration of responsible management education, real world examples are highlighted from around the globe on fostering a sustainability culture, changing curricula, enabling faculty or managing and consolidating. This is a unique publication in that the 63 cases illustrate successful and relevant approaches in their different contexts, moreover the standardised structure around challenges, actions taken and results provides the most effective source of inspiration. A must-read on the transformation of management education and on how our institutions are placing sustainability at the heart of management education.”
Prof. Eric Cornuel, CEO & Director General of EFMD

The guide is now available to purchase in print, priced at £29.95 (excluding shipping). To purchase your copy of the Inspirational Guide, please visit the GSE online shop: http://www.gsepublishing.com

For more information on PRME visit - http://www.unprme.org/index.php

EFMD is organizing its 3rd annual Africa Conference entitled "Sustainable Business Education Appropriate for Africa", which is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 11-12th October 2012 co-hosted by the University of Nairobi School of Business and Strathmore Business School. The conference will be preceded by a joint introductory seminar on EPAS and Deans Across Frontiers (DAF) on 10th October. It will be followed on 13-15th October by the "Meeting of the Minds" conference in the Masai Mara organized by University of Stellenbosch Business School.

Topics covered in this year's Africa Conference will include: The Role of Business Schools in Africa, Partnerships, Management Development Powering Development, Income Streams, Which Governance for a More Sustainable Business Schools, and many more. Speakers will come from top African Business Schools & leading schools from across the EFMD global network, African companies and NGO's.

Join us in Nairobi and take advantage of this unique opportunity to network with peers from across the globe as well as the speakers. Please refer to the EFMD website for further information and registration details.

We hope to see you in Nairobi.

Special issue call for papers from the Journal for Management Development
The Unfulfilled Promise of Responsible Management Education (RME)

Guest Editors:    

• Eric Cornuel, European Foundation for Management Development, Belgium & HEC Paris, France
• Ulrich Hommel, EBS Business School, Germany & European Foundation for Management Development, Belgium

Theme
A. The Context
Business schools have been on the defensive since the beginning of the financial crisis, not least for apparently failing to acknowledge their role in educating responsible managers. This debate has triggered a number of interesting and valuable responses from business schools such as the introduction of degree programmes strongly emphasizing RME-related aspects, the management oath initiative as well as fruitful and still on-going debates on adjusting international accreditation standards. We have further witnessed various organizational efforts to give responsible management education a higher priority in research and teaching such as the PRME initiative (http://www.unprme.org/) or the 50+20 initiative (http://50plus20.org/).
 
Nevertheless, the general view prevails that business schools as a whole are making only very gradual and still minor progress in addressing these issues on an institutional level. It is also argued that the laggardness of immersing themselves in this debate has led business schools to become increasingly detached from the business world, which is addressing these issues with much more fervour. And indeed, it appears that RME activities are still mostly kept in isolated silos in business schools and therefore do not seem to impact the full range of institutional activities. The purpose of this special issue is to address this phenomenon and develop explanations for why responsible management education remains largely an unfulfilled promise to this day.

B. Purpose
The purpose of this special issue is to advance the understanding of the structural barriers and resistances limiting the business schools’ ability and willingness to embrace the principles of responsible management education. The submissions can relate their arguments to any of the common themes in the business school and higher education literature, but are not limited to it. Examples are governance and faculty incentive management, accreditations and rankings, entrepreneurialism and corporate relevance as well as globalization / internationalization of business school activities. It is expected that papers will offer an appropriate appreciation of the RME-specific literature as well. Submissions are particularly encouraged from researchers in other fields such as higher education, economics, political science or philosophy. They are in a position to add valuable outside-in perspectives, which may be enriching the viewpoints put forward by the special issue.

C. Research Questions
This call is seeking contributions on any aspect of the special issue theme. Suggested questions to be explored include (please note that these questions are only intended to serve as examples and are not meant to restrict submissions in any way):

• Is RME another management fad with negligible relevance for practicing managers?
• What role do market-based performance metrics play in preventing business schools from embracing RME more fully (in strategy, research, teaching, etc.)?
• Are ambiguities in defining and measuring RME preventing more widespread adoption?
• To what extent do business school governance and management practices explain why RME still retains its orphan-like status?
• To what extent do discrepancies in the philosophical foundations of management science and economics vs. RME create intellectual resistance to the widespread adoption of RME?
• Why do the diverse cultural traditions and religious values around the globe or differences in economic development not have a more noticeable impact on the adoption and interpretation of RME?

We welcome submissions of high-quality papers on all topics related to the theme of the special issue. Contributions may develop theoretical frameworks, synthesize the existing body of knowledge, present strategic problem-solving applications or offer empirical evidence. Successful submissions will employ accurate methodologies and develop their arguments on the basis of rigorous analysis.

Submissions
To be considered for publication in this special issue, manuscripts must be received by January 31, 2013. Papers submitted will be subject to a minimum double-blind peer review process to ensure that this special issue maintains the excellent reputation and record of the Journal of Management Development. The journal website is located at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/jmd.htm.

Please read through the author guidelines on this site before submitting your paper. Submissions to Journal of Management Development are made using ScholarOne's Manuscript Central http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jmd. Full instructions can be found on the author guidelines site. As a guide, articles should not exceed 5,000 words in length. A title of not more than twelve words should be provided.

Queries should be submitted directly to the special issue co-editor, Ulrich Hommel (ulrich.hommel@efmd.org).

Special Issue Call for Papers: International Journal of Educational Management
Risk Management in Higher Education – Managing Academia in Turbulent Times

Guest Editors:     

• Eric Cornuel, European Foundation for Management Development, Belgium & HEC Paris, France
• Ulrich Hommel, EBS Business School, Germany & European Foundation for Management Development, Belgium

Theme
A. The Context
Higher education institutions are operating in an increasingly dynamic environment. Demographic shifts, rising market transparency and accountability, changing consumption patterns and the emergence of new competition are exposing the higher education sector to levels of risk never encountered before. Deregulation and new funding models are forcing presidents, deans and senior managers to embrace market challenges with the effect of further enhancing performance volatility. As a consequence, what has been said about management in general increasingly applies to higher education management as well: Institutions are managed well if they manage their risk position well. In addition, regulatory oversight bodies are beginning to acknowledge the need to align the intensity of supervision and control with institutional risk-taking.

Despite the high priority assigned to risk management in a practical context, the academic literature has largely ignored this emerging field of research so far. In the light of the impact of recent economic downturns on higher education and the concerns how continued turmoil in financial markets may put a considerable number of institutions into a state of budgetary distress, there is clearly a need to examine this issue more closely from a research perspective. Over the past two decades, risk management has developed into a vibrant field of research, in particular in finance and operations management. In contrast, the higher education literature on risk management is dominated by practice-based publications and still lacks an appropriate academic research foundation. The special issue intends to address this shortcoming.

B. Purpose
The purpose of this special issue is to advance the understanding of the specific nature of risk management in higher education institutions. With this perspective in mind, this Call for Papers seeks to expand knowledge in this area and provide a discussion forum for researchers in higher education as well as business & management. It presents a unique opportunity for researchers to gather and explore previously untapped synergies between these so far largely separate areas of research.
The special issue invites conceptual and empirical papers, presenting cutting edge research on risk management in higher education. Papers may be theoretical or applied but should in all cases have a clear relevance to risk management practices in higher education.

C. Research Questions
This call seeks contributions on any aspect of risk management in higher education. Papers can for example focus on:

• Risk management methodologies and risk management performance
• Financial and operational risks (and the interaction between them)
• Incentive issues, governance and regulation
• Strategic decision-making and risk taking

Suggested questions to be explored include (please note that these questions are only intended to serve as examples and are not meant to restrict submissions in any way):

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of risk management methodologies currently used in the higher education sector?
• What is the relationship between financial performance and competitive positioning of higher education institutions?
• How effective are different governance models in controlling risk-taking behaviour of senior management?
• What is the impact of internationalization on risk-taking behaviour of higher education institutions?
• How are different trends (e.g. demographic change, changing funding models, rising market orientation, managerialism, shift towards blended/online/distance learning) affecting performance volatility and financial health of higher education institutions?
• What is the impact of deregulation and privatization on risk taking in higher education?
• How can established risk management methodologies of the corporate sector (e.g. Cash Flow at Risk) be used to measure and mitigate risk exposures in higher education?
• How is regulatory oversight impacting risk-taking behaviour of higher education institutions?
• What are the need and scope of risk-based regulation of the higher education sector?

We welcome submissions of high-quality papers on all topics related to risk taking, risk management and risk regulation in a higher education context. They may use any type of higher education institution as a focal point (universities or subunits thereof such as business schools, public or private, non-profit or for-profit). Contributions can develop theoretical frameworks, synthesize the existing body of knowledge, present strategic problem-solving applications or offer empirical evidence. Successful submissions will employ accurate methodologies and develop their arguments on the basis of rigorous analysis.
 
D. The Journal
The International Journal of Educational Management provides those interested in the effective management of the educational process with a broad overview of developments and best practice in the field, with particular reference to how new ideas can be applied worldwide. The journal contains material relating to innovation in educational management across the spectrum, the development of educational delivery mechanisms, and the creation of an environment in which the management of resources provides the most efficient outputs achievable on an international basis to allow the sharing of new initiatives. Each article is submitted to a double blind-review process to ensure that academic integrity is maintained

Submissions
To be considered for publication in this special issue, manuscripts must be received by February 15, 2013. Submissions must comply with the author guidelines for this journal:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm?id=ijem

Expressions of interest to submit a paper and other queries should be sent directly to the special issue co-editor, Ulrich Hommel (ulrich.hommel@efmd.org).

EFMD would like to warmly congratulate:

• EBS Business School, EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, Germany
• Faculty of Management, Economics & Social Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany
• IESEG School of Management Lille-Paris France
• Yonsei University School of Business Korea
• School of Management, Zhejiang University China

who have just been awarded EQUIS accreditation. This takes the number of accredited schools to 138 across 38 countries.

Prof. Julio Urgel, the EFMD Director of Quality Service said, "We are delighted to welcome 5 more leading international schools into the EQUIS community. Accreditation from EFMD is one of the best and most complete ways to certify the actual quality of a business school as accreditation involves an extensive self-assessment by the school, the visit of an international review team who spend several days interviewing many different people in the School, and finally a very experienced jury evaluating the assessment and findings of the review team to determine whether the School should be granted accreditation. There are currently no substitutes for such an in-depth assessment of quality and the new schools who have been accredited should be commended for their commitment to excellence."

• "The faculty of the School of Management, Economics and Social Sciences is very proud that the School has been rewarded the prestigious EQUIS accreditation. This accreditation acknowledges the efforts of all members of the school to transform it successfully into a competitive, international business school. And it encourages us to continue striving for excellence in research and education."
  Prof. Dr. Werner Mellis, Dean, School of Management, Economics and Social Sciences, University of Cologne
  
  
• “We are proud and honored to be rewarded with the prestigious Equis accreditation. This is for us an extremely important recognition and a fantastic starting point for further development of new international programs and partnerships, recruitment of international students and faculty and improving the placement of our students on a worldwide level.”
  Dr. Jean-Philippe Ammeux, General Director, IESEG School of Management Lille-Paris
  
  
• "We are extremely proud to have achieved EQUIS accreditation. This prestigious achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty toward providing our students with a world-class education and honors us with inclusion among the world’s elite institutions. The accreditation process has been a journey, not a destination, because the insights gained in the peer review will continue to guide us as we build on this achievement. In celebrating our reaching this milestone in our history, however, I must also express our deep gratitude for the support and guidanceof the late Jim Herbolich of EFMD. His encouragement during his briefing visit with us and on other occasions played a crucial role in our achieving this accreditation."
  Prof. Dr. Sang Yong Park, Dean of Yonsei University School of Business
  
  
• "We are so very pleased to have been awarded EQUIS accreditation as this means that the school’s achievements in teaching and research quality, and professional relevance have been acknowledged. EQUIS will help our school become more internationally exposed and even more innovative and entrepreneurial. EFMD evaluates excellent business education all over the world and EQUIS has systematically helped business education programmes move from being good to great and helped guide them on a path to continuos improvement. We have benefited enormously from being a part of the EFMD international network as the global membership base has helped us learn a great deal from other members. Because of the work of EFMD and the value gained from going through the EQUIS process, we are much more confident now in our educational strategy of Global Perspective, Innovation Capability, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Socially Responsibility, which makes the school unique.
  Prof. Dr. Xiaobo Wu, Executive Dean, Zhejiang University School of Management
  
  
• “We are very proud to have received the EQUIS seal. The EQUIS accreditation confirms our reputation of being one of the leading Business Schools in Germany and will in return increase the attractiveness for international students and faculty. The accreditation confirms the excellence of our teaching and research, the international orientation of our programs with its strong focus on personal development, the broad executive education program portfolio and the strong practical focus due to our broad corporate network.”
  Prof. Rolf Tilmes, Dean of EBS Business School

EQUIS is not primarily focused on the MBA or any other specific programme as its scope covers all of programmes offered by an institution from the first degree up to the Ph.D. Institutions that are accredited by EQUIS must demonstrate not only high general quality in all dimensions of their activities, but also a high degree of internationalisation. With companies recruiting worldwide, with students choosing to get their education outside their home countries, and with schools building alliances across borders and continents, there is a rapidly growing need for them to be able to identify those institutions in other countries that deliver high quality education in international management. EQUIS also believes that business schools should be as closely connected to the real world of business as schools of medicine are to working hospitals. There must be a balance between high academic quality and the professional relevance provided by close interaction with the corporate world. EQUIS attaches particular importance to the development of managerial and entrepreneurial skills and fosters a students sense of global responsibility.

More information on EQUIS is available at www.efmd.org/equis

The deadline to submit your case to the 2012 EFMD Excellence in Practice Awards is now approaching and we look forward to receiving your cases by 1st May 2012.  The EiP winning cases will be presented and awarded during the EFMD 2012 Executive Education Conference hosted by  Instituto Internacional San Telmo on 3-5 October 2012 (Sevilla, Spain).  Registrations for that conference are already open.

The EFMD Excellence in Practice Award attract case studies showcasing outstanding Learning and Development (L&D) partnerships. Fields might include Leadership, Professional, Talent or Organization Development and the programme described in the case should be deployed by an organisation either together with its in-house L&D unit or with an external L&D provider (Business School, Executive Education Center, etc...). Case-studies must demonstrate Operational Excellence (e.g. sustainable partnership & effective learning environment etc.); Excellent Programme Management (e.g. design, delivery, evaluation, selection methodology of participants etc.); and above all Strong Business Impact (e.g. alignment with corporate strategy, impact for company, incorporation in corporate HR processes etc).

Winners in 2011 included: ArcelorMittal, CCL, Emerging World, ING Bank, INSEAD, Microsoft, Royal Bank of Scotland, Royal Philips Electronics, the world we work in, TMA World and Wharton.

Please make sure that your entry to the Awards is submitted by the 1st of May 2012 via the online registration process. The detailed assignment brief, submission guidelines and online registration process are available here.

Information session webinars have been organised over the last few weeks that provide detailed instructions and tips on how to apply. If you are interested in getting the session recordings, please contact Florence Grégoire - florence.gregoire@efmd.org

If you have any questions or would like to express an interest in taking part please contact Florence Grégoire - florence.gregoire@efmd.org

Deans Across Frontiers (DAF) aims to assist Business Schools to develop further through mentoring of the institution’s Senior Management Team. DAF is the third service offered by the EFMD Quality Services Department that complements EQUIS and EPAS and as with the accreditation systems, the school will undergo a Self-Assessment and Peer Review Process. Following the assessment by the Peer Review Team, the School will benefit for a three-year period of mentoring by an experienced former Dean and will progress towards defined development objectives. The EFMD will assure the effectiveness of the process through systematic progress tracking.

EFMD has a mission to promote excellence in business and management education worldwide. This is partly fulfilled by its existing accreditation systems, EQUIS and EPAS, which are aimed at the very top schools. However, EFMD also has a social responsibility to support all levels of schools, whether they be members of EFMD or not. The launch of Deans Across Frontiers is the response to this need. Fees are charged for DAF but applications are invited for full or partial-funding scholarships on a case-by-case needs basis.

The spirit of DAF and especially the relationship between mentor and institution is one of mutual cooperation and learning.  The mentoring and evaluation of a School has to consider the educational, cultural and political environment in which the institution operates and to relate it to a wider international context. It is not the intention of DAF to promote any particular model of Business School, but to give contextualised assistance or advice.

The DAF Committee convened for the first time on 18 October and the system was presented in November at the EFMD Africa Conference in Cape Town and the EFMD MENA conference in Casablanca. The pilot phase has now been officially launched and the DAF office is happy to receive applications. As DAF is still at an early stage of development, individuals and institutions are invited to become involved with DAF as mentor, reviewer, donor or godfather institution.

If you are interested in DAF or have any questions please email Friedemann Schulze-Fielitz friedemann.schulze-fielitz@efmd.org

"Avant tout, il faut comprendre que nous ne sommes pas dans une logique de sanction, souligne Eric Cornuel, directeur général de l’EFMD (lire ci-contre), qui délivre le label Equis à 18 institutions en France et 129 dans le monde (dont 30 % hors Europe). Notre objectif est d’être des vecteurs de progrès pour les institutions."

+ More // Les Echos

The Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration at Chulalongkorn University has become the only higher learning institution to earn both US and European accreditation. In December, it was accredited with EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System)......... "Regarding the European accreditation, the emphasis of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) is more on practicality as the EFMD consists of both business and academic interests." + More // The Nation