EQUIS Accreditation for the ZHAW School of Management and Law
The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) has awarded the ZHAW School of Management and Law the EQUIS label. EQUIS stands for European Quality Improvement System and is one of the leading systems for the assessment, improvement, and accreditation of business schools at an international level. Only 215 business schools worldwide are EQUIS-accredited.
The ZHAW School of Management and Law (SML) has been awarded the EQUIS label for the first time. This prestigious quality label is awarded to business schools with high teaching, research, and executive education standards. "We can prove ourselves internationally as a business school offering high-quality teaching and research in Switzerland – and we can all be immensely proud of this achievement," said SML Dean Reto Steiner. “Accreditation strengthens our partnerships with industry as well as our teaching and research, which have a direct impact on the economy. It also supports our mission to contribute to solving economic and social challenges."
In addition to the SML, four other business schools in Switzerland are EQUIS-accredited (HEC Lausanne, IMD Lausanne, University of St. Gallen, and University of Zurich).
An Overview
An EQUIS accreditation reviews how a business school implements its strategy in its operations. In addition, its digitalization and internationalization efforts, its relationships with its partners in the business world, and how it integrates ethics and sustainability are examined and evaluated. Among other things, an international peer review group visits the business school on several days and interviews various groups of people (e.g., lecturers, researchers, and students).
Only the Beginning
"This accreditation has given us a comprehensive external perspective, showing us where to continue to develop and improve. EQUIS focuses on the continuous improvement of our school," said Reto Steiner. "Independent experts enable us to measure ourselves against international standards. EQUIS thus supports our development as a research-based and quality-oriented international business school."