The premier global accrediting body for business schools, AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – officially opened its first regional headquarters, in Singapore.  Heralded worldwide as the best framework or ‘gold standard’ for high quality management education, AACSB International currently accredits 568 schools across 33 countries.

In choosing to open its first regional headquarters, AACSB recognizes Singapore as a multi-cultural learning environment and a growing centre of global educational excellence. Devoted to the worldwide advancement of quality management education through accreditation and thought leadership, AACSB will utilize its new Asia headquarters to strengthen both its membership, professional development and accreditation services in the region. 

Dr Beh Swan Gin speaking at the AACSB event

Dr Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board welcomed AACSB to Singapore, “We are pleased that Singapore will be serving as AACSB’s base for accreditation and thought leadership throughout Asia.  AACSB will join the community of more than 76 International Organisations who have set up their operations in Singapore.  Given its commitment to advancing the highest quality in management education, it will be a wonderful addition to Singapore's Global Schoolhouse initiative."

As an association of management education institutions and businesses, AACSB maintains a total membership of approximately 1,200 business schools and major companies throughout 71 countries. Currently there are a total of 111 member organizations across Asia and, of those, 20 maintain AACSB accreditation.  Singapore is home to four members, two of which have received accreditation.

“Successful growth in management education is critical for Asia, and ensuring that the growth is based on quality is of vital importance to AACSB,” said Rick Cosier, chairman of the board for AACSB International and Dean and Leeds Professor of Management at the Krannert School of Management, Purdue University. “With its current network of local and international business programs, and its ‘Global Schoolhouse Initiative’, Singapore’s efforts will serve as the perfect launching-pad for AACSB to further its commitment to providing quality management education worldwide.”

AACSB brings business school leaders together to learn from one another through a wide array of conferences and seminar programs.  Designed specifically to support faculty, administrators and corporate leaders from across the world, AACSB’s professional development programs provide a broad, over-arching view of the global trends and mission-driven issues that affect the quality of management education. 

“In recent years management education has experienced a mercurial level of growth worldwide.  Today the Asian region hosts more than 5,000 business programs, and is now the largest centre of management education in the world,” said John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International. “Rightfully, as the premier accrediting body for business schools worldwide, AACSB has established a regional headquarters in Asia.  Singapore–with its open business environment and leading management education centre–is the ideal location for our Asia headquarters.” 

As part of AACB’s continued efforts to provide services to its international membership, the opening of the AACSB Asian headquarters has already resulted in an increased number of planned conferences and seminars in the region, providing schools with direct access to leading academics.  In addition to its full schedule of international conferences and seminars, at present eight events in the Asia region have been organised for the 2009-10 academic year, with host cities including Singapore, Shanghai and Sydney.