The University of Aberdeen Business School has joined an elite list of global higher education institutions to have been awarded prestigious EQUIS accreditation.

Out of more than 15,000 business and management schools around the world, just over 200 across 45 countries have gained the international-recognised mark of distinction.

In securing it, Aberdeen joins the likes of Curtin Business School in Australia, INSEAD in France, the School of Management and Economics at Beijing Institute of Technology in China, the Graduate School of management at Kyoto University in Japan; and London Business School in the UK.

Awarded by EFMD, a global non-profit membership-driven organisation dedicated to excellence in management development, its rigorous peer-review process signals the School’s overall quality of teaching, student experience, research and stakeholder outreach at an international level, as well as its commitment towards continual improvement.

Head of School, Professor John Skåtun, said: “We are delighted to have received confirmation that our Business School meets the very high EQUIS expectations, placing us among the world’s top institutions. This accreditation is good for our staff, students and alumni, enhancing the international reputation of the School and our programmes.

“We have found our interactions with EQUIS a truly enriching process, that is helping us deliver our strategic plans and meet our mission of powering change for better businesses and better lives.

“We are thrilled that the review team felt our work on sustainability was particularly strong and thank everyone involved in the school, including advisory boards, students and alumni for their help in these developments.”

The accreditation has been awarded for three years to the University’s Business School provision in both Aberdeen and Qatar. It is the latest in a series of significant results for the Business School which is internationally recognised for its excellence in world-leading research, with 81% of research classified as ‘world-leading and internationally excellent’ (REF, 2021).

The Business School was also ranked 1st in the UK for Business Studies in the National Student Survey 2023, 7th in the UK for Accounting and Finance, 11th for Business Management Studies and 21st for Economics in the Guardian University Guide 2024; and ranked in the top 20 for Business, Management, Marketing and Accounting and Finance in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.