Accreditation for business schoolsFaculty of Business Administration receives internationally renowned EQUIS accreditation

Photo: Rahel Erdei

Faculty of Business Administration management staff (from left): Prof. Dr. Petra Steinorth, equal opportunity representative; Prof. Dr. Stefan Voß, vice dean; Prof. Dr. Henrik Sattler, dean; Prof. Dr. Dorothea Alewell, vice dean for academic affairs; Prof. Dr. Nicole V. S. Ratzinger-Sakel, and Dr. Ferdinand Wenzlaff, faculty manager

Awarded by the nonprofit European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditation standard aims to ensure the quality of and further develop international business schools and their management education. Therefore, accreditation is an important indicator of quality for students, employers, and academic partner organizations around the world. There are 215 EQUIS-accredited business schools worldwide. With the Faculty of Business Administration at Universität Hamburg, there are now 7 business schools in Germany that have been awarded EQUIS accreditation to date.

“There is probably no standard of accreditation for business schools as recognized as EQUIS either nationally or internationally. Accreditation demonstrates that our faculty not only is a leader in Germany but also enjoys a high level of recognition internationally,” says Prof. Dr. Henrik Sattler, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration at Universität Hamburg. “We are very pleased that we started this process in 2019. We have identified strengths and weaknesses and have developed a focused strategy for the next 5 years. Together, we have already implemented a number of positive changes in the faculty. And with this positive energy, we will continue to move forward and to develop further.”

EQUIS accreditation covers different areas of activity that are reviewed, including: governance and strategy, degree programs, student body, academic staff, research, resources and administration, internationalization, ethics and sustainability, and contacts with nonuniversity companies.

During the accreditation process, the faculty completed a self-assessment report, among other things. After that, a 4-member team of reviewers visited the faculty for 3 days in June 2023. Based on the team’s assessment and recommendations, the EQUIS board decided to award accreditation.

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