On February 29, 2024, the School of Economics and Management of the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) received official notification from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) that it had successfully obtained the three-year EQUIS accreditation (EFMD Quality Improvement System). This marks the formal completion of the School’s achievement of the three major international business school accreditations—AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS—following its AMBA accreditation in 2013 and AACSB accreditation in 2018. As a result, the School has become the 14th business school in mainland China and the 4th in Beijing to earn the prestigious “Triple Crown” of international business school accreditations.
From November 28 to November 30, 2023, the School of Economics and Management successfully underwent the EQUIS peer review team’s on-site visit. During the visit, the peer review team conducted a comprehensive review and rigorous evaluation of the School’sstrategic planning, faculty development, research performance, internationalization, program and curriculum system, and supporting facilities and resources. USTB President Yang Renshu, Vice President Lü Zhaoping, and Deputy Party Secretary Zhang Dalin, among other university representatives, attended the discussion sessions.
At the accreditation feedback meeting, the peer review team gave highly positive evaluations of the School’s overall performance. The reviewers noted that the School of Economics and Management at USTB has actively adapted to developments in the field and maintained a high standard of progress and development in both research and teaching. They also recognized the School’s strong academic atmosphere and supportive educational environment, as well as its emphasis on feedback from faculty, students, and society while pursuing rapid development. In addition, the review team offered constructive suggestions for the School’s future improvement.
As one of the three most influential international accreditation systems in business education, EQUIS is widely recognized for its rigorous review process and high evaluation standards. Its assessment framework focuses on three major dimensions: internationalization, corporate connections, and ethics, responsibility, and sustainability. It covers virtually all aspects of business school management and development, including strategic development, academic programs, faculty quality, scholarly research, student development, alumni relations, executive education, administrative support, and resource allocation. The School became an EFMD member in 2019, passed the eligibility assessment in 2021, received the on-site visit in November 2023, and officially earned EQUIS accreditation in February 2024.
Using international accreditation as a strategic lever, the School of Economics and Management has consistently pursued the goal of building a first-class business school with distinctive characteristics. It has aligned itself comprehensively with international standards in talent recruitment, discipline development, and teaching methods, actively explored innovative pathways for talent cultivation, expanded exchanges and cooperation with world-class business schools, and continuously enhanced the quality of education and its level of internationalization. In 2013, the School earned AMBA accreditation, becoming the 17th university in mainland China and the 3rd in Beijing to do so. In 2018, it obtained AACSB accreditation, becoming the 19th in mainland China and the 5th in Beijing to receive that honor. In 2024, it officially passed EQUIS accreditation, becoming the 14th in mainland China and the 4th in Beijing to complete all three major international business school accreditations.
In recent years, the School of Economics and Management has achieved leapfrog development in multiple areas, including discipline development, research output, and faculty strength, making notable progress and achieving new breakthroughs. The University has established the Institute of Mineral Resources Research, which is affiliated with the School. The School currently has 16 faculty members who hold various national-, provincial-, and ministerial-level talent titles, including Academician Shao Anlin of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Since 2011, the School has won nearly 100 provincial- and ministerial-level and other research awards, and has undertaken more than 950 research projects, including the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, key projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and major grant projects of the National Social Science Fund of China. In the latest round of discipline evaluation, the disciplines of Management Science and Engineering and Business Administration made important progress and rose to a new level in the rankings, becoming disciplines of significant influence in China. In addition, all seven undergraduate majors of the School have been approved as First-Class Undergraduate Program Development Sites.
Looking ahead, the School of Economics and Management will continue to uphold USTB’s fine tradition of “rigorous scholarship and advocacy of practice,” take as its vision the goal of building a first-class business school with distinctive characteristics, and follow the development path of serving the capital city, industry, regions, and national development. The School will strive to build first-class disciplines, attract first-class faculty, cultivate first-class students, produce first-class achievements, and provide first-class social services.
