Heady heady

Jun 2 2010 by Iain Laing, The Journal

NORTHUMBRIA University’s Newcastle Business School has successfully achieved recognition from the European Foundation for Management Development. The Brussels-based organisation, which operates internationally, was established to ensure the continuous improvement of management development education worldwide.

The Foundation’s EPAS scheme evaluates the quality of development programmes with an international perspective. It accredits providers where the quality is found to be appropriately high.

An independent assessment of Newcastle Business School involved a rigorous review, international comparison and benchmarking. Aspects under scrutiny included curriculum content and delivery, the balance between academic and managerial elements, the depth and rigour of degree assessment processes, the quality of students and graduates, the level of resources allocated to support an academic programme, and the career progression of those who hold Northumbria University qualifications in business.

The vice-chancellor and chief executive of Northumbria University, Professor Andrew Wathey, said: “The Foundation seeks to establish and recognise the very highest standards for management education worldwide. With success in this accreditation we are in outstanding company, and this provides further confidence for the many companies and individuals with whom we do business that Northumbria is a leader in executive education. I warmly congratulate the team at Newcastle Business School on this success, and I am confident that current and future students will be delighted their School has achieved this mark of quality.”

Newcastle Business School is led by Professor Paul Croney, who was this week elected chair of the Association of Business Schools in the United Kingdom for a period of two years from 1 July 2010.

The association is the lead body for providers of Business and Management Education in Britain, and also liaises closely with the European Foundation for Management Development and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business in the United States.