Tag: EQUIS

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The Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools (AAPBS): Fostering Collaboration and Excellence in Business Education in the Asia-Pacific Region and Beyond

By Dr. Vlad Krotov

In today’s increasingly global economy and competitive education market, business schools from around the world must keep abreast with international best practices and incorporate regional nuances into their curriculum and operations in order to remain competitive.  Within the Asia-Pacific region, one organization plays a pivotal role in advancing the quality, relevance, and global connectivity of business schools: The Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools (AAPBS). In this article, we provide a brief overview of AAPBS and discuss how this organization relates to international accreditation agencies for business schools, such as AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA-BGA. 

What is AAPBS?

Founded in 2004, the Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools (AAPBS) is a collaborative network of business schools dedicated to enhancing the quality of business and management education throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Unlike traditional accreditation bodies such as AACSB, AAPBS primarily serves as a platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and regional development, rather than formal accreditation.

Mission and Vision

The mission of AAPBS is to “..provide leadership and representation to advance the quality of business and management education in the Asia-Pacific region.” This vision reflects a strong commitment to cultural diversity, regional relevance, and the development of future business leaders who are equipped to thrive in Asia’s complex and dynamic economies and internationally.

Who Are the Members?

AAPBS membership includes over 100 business schools and academic institutions across Asia, Oceania, and the Pacific Rim, including:

    • Deakin University (Australia)
    • National University of Singapore Business School (Singapore)
    • Hong Kong University Business School (China)
    • Seoul National University Business School (South Korea)
    • Kyoto University (Japan)
    • University of Auckland (New Zealand)

It should be noted that members of AAPBS range from top-tier institutions to emerging schools that are eager to enhance their international profile.

What Does AAPBS Do?

Similarly to international accreditation agencies (e.g., AACSB, EQUIS, BGA) AAPBS provides its members with the following value propositions:

    • Academic Collaboration: AAPBS provides a platform for facilitating research partnerships, faculty exchanges, joint academic programs, and collaborative development of teaching cases rooted in the Asian context.
    • Conferences and Forums: AAPBS hosts annual academic conferences and deans’ meetings; it also organizes workshops on emerging topics such as AI in education, entrepreneurship, and sustainable business practices.
    • Leadership Development: AAPBS supports initiatives that develop next-generation academic leaders in Asia and provides opportunities for deans, directors, and faculty to build strategic leadership skills.
    • Benchmarking and Best Practices: AAPBS provides a platform for sharing institutional case studies, curriculum models, and strategies for accreditation among its members; it also offers insights regional challenges in business education such as demographic shifts, digital transformation, and internationalization

How AAPBS Differs from Accreditation Bodies

It’s important to note that AAPBS is not an accrediting agency. Business schools in Asia often pair AAPBS membership with international accreditations such as:

    • AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
    • EQUIS (EFMD Quality Improvement System)
    • AMBA-BGA (Association of MBAs – Business Graduates Association)

These international business accreditations help schools demonstrate global standards, while AAPBS provides the regional context, networks, and knowledge base to thrive in Asia’s unique educational landscape.

Final Thoughts

As the Asia-Pacific region continues to rise in global influence, AAPBS plays a crucial role in shaping the future of business education. By fostering a strong, regionally rooted yet globally connected network, AAPBS empowers institutions to develop leaders who can drive sustainable and inclusive growth in the 21st century. It also offers a strong foundation for pursuing alignment with international accreditation standards published by such international accreditation agencies as AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA-BGA, etc. 

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12 Characteristics of a Good Mission Statement for a Business School

By Dr. Vlad Krotov

A good mission statement for a business school

A business school’s strategic planning begins with a good mission statement. Having a formal and sustainable strategic planning process is a formal requirement of all major accreditation agencies for business schools. For example, EQUIS standards require every accredited business school to “define the School’s mission and explain how it relates to its identity.” (EQUIS Standards & Criteria, Chapter 1, 2023). Similarly, AACSB requires that every accredited business school should “articulate a clear and focused mission for the school” as a part of its strategic planning process (AACSB Guiding Principles and Standards for Business Accreditation, Standard 1, 2023). 

A good mission statement is essential for every business school’s survival and success in the face of growing competition in business education. A mission statement serves as a concise and impactful declaration of a school’s purpose and core values. It should effectively communicate the organization’s reason for existence, its target audience, and its guiding principles. 

In order to succeed, a business school needs to be known for something. Almost everything that the school does and everyone that the school is affiliated with should contribute to this reputation. Without this focus and distinctiveness, your business schools will be lost among numerous other “me too” schools, eventually suffering declining enrollment and shortages of essential resources.

Here are some characteristics of a good mission statement for a business school:

    1. Clear and Concise: A good mission statement is clear, straightforward, and concise. All stakeholders should be able to understand it, including students, faculty, staff, and employers. A mission statement should not  more than a few sentences. 
    2. Specific and Focused: The mission statement should clearly outline the school’s primary purpose and focus. It should avoid being overly broad, generic, or vague. Being “everything to everyone” is one of the worst strategies a business school can pursue. 
    3. Inspiring and Motivating: A mission statement should motivate and inspire all stakeholders. It should create a sense of purpose and passion among students, faculty, and staff. 
    4. Timeless: Business “buzzwords”, educational technologies, and pedagogical “fads” come and go. Strategies and goals of a business school may change over time too. In spite of all the changes in the external and internal environment, a good mission statement should remain relevant and timeless. It should provide a sense of continuity and stability for the school and serve as the most important foundation for all strategic decisions.
    5. Unique and Differentiating: The mission statement should clearly highlight what sets your business school apart from thousands of other business schools across the globe. It should emphasize the organization’s unique value proposition to students. Being a “me too” business school is a sure path to mediocrity and declining enrollments. 
    6. Realistic and Achievable: While the mission statement should be aspirational, it should also be grounded in reality. Not everybody can be a Harvard Business School, serving the needs of executives from Fortune 500 companies. This is okay.  Not everybody wants to commute in a Mercedes or Ferrari. People also need affordable and reliable Toyotas and Fords that get them where they want to be. 
    7. Aligned the Mission of the University: The mission statement should align with the university’s vision, mission, values, and goals. It should reflect the principles that guide decision-making and actions within the broader organization that the business school is a part of.
    8. Student-Centric: A good mission statement should focus on delivering value to the school’s target audience. It should emphasize the impact the school aims to have on its students and the broader community that it serves.
    9. Memorable: A memorable mission statement is more likely to be embraced by all the stakeholders. A creative statement with strong language and imagery can make it more memorable. Business schools should stay away from confusing “academic talk” or business jargon. The mission of the business school should be recited or explained by every faculty member in his or her own words. Reviewers from accreditation agencies often ask faculty whether they can explain the mission of their business schools.
    10. Inclusive: The mission statement should be inclusive, embracing all the relevant stakeholders: students, faculty, staff, alumni, and employers.
    11. Communicable: A good mission statement should be easily communicated across all levels of the business school. It should be accessible and relatable to everyone involved with the school. Each business school should invest time and resources in spreading awareness of its mission statement. 
    12. Measurable: Although a mission statement is not a strategic plan, it should be possible to evaluate the organization’s progress and alignment with its mission over time. Lengthy, broad, generic, and vague mission statements make such evaluation difficult. 

Crafting a compelling and effective mission statement often involves lengthy collaboration and reflection among key stakeholders to ensure that it accurately represents the organization’s identity, aspirations, and principles. Unfortunately, many business schools do not have anyone formally in charge of the strategic planning process. Mission statements are often drafted or revised just before accreditation or reaccreditation report submission deadlines.