International Accreditations
KBS; first in Japan to be accredited by both AACSB International and EFMD
The Graduate School on Business Administration, Keio University (Keio Business School, hereinafter KBS) was first granted accreditation by AACSB International (The Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) in 2000 and has been granted renewal twice. In April 2011, after rigorous peer review by EFMD (The European Foundation for Management Development), KBS was the first institution in Japan to be granted EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation.
AACSB International, based in Florida, the United States, was established to guarantee, maintain, and improve the quality of management education. As the United States government does not have its own accreditation body for universities and postgraduate schools similar to Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, AACSB International created its own accreditation system. As of April 2011, 620 institutions in 37 countries have been granted AACSB accreditation. (Most of these, however, are located in the US, where many of the most prestigious business schools were founded.)
On the other hand, EFMD, an international membership organization based in Brussels, aims to continually improve the quality of management development education by providing a unique forum for information-sharing, research, and networking among educational institutions and corporations. EMFD runs EQUIS, an accreditation system that assesses the quality of the entire management education institution. EQUIS accreditation has been awarded to 130 institutions (including KBS) in 38 countries, mostly in Europe.
The oldest business school in Japan, KBS has been constantly striving to enhance its competitiveness in our rapidly globalizing society. Our AACSB and EQUIS accreditations are proof that the educational curricula and research activities, faculty, students and alumni of KBS are equal to those of the world’s top management education institutions.
For over half of a century since our founding, our unwavering mission has been to provide higher education that meets global standards. Our alumni are established as key players on the international stage. In order to nurture excellent managers who will lead in global business, KBS is determined to further enhance its educational and research activities, share up-to-date information that both academics and practitioners value, and actively participate in business school communities in Japan and around the world.