Abbreviation NIBS Type NGO | Formation 1993 Region served Global | |
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Purpose educational accreditation, curriculum development, academic exchange Headquarters Heverlee, Leuven, Belgium | ||
The Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) is an association of university-level schools of business that promotes the incorporation of a strong international dimension into management training and accredits schools that offer internationally oriented business curricula. NIBS and its various member institutions advocate for the creation of business education programs that integrate internationalist skills and perspectives, including the practice of foreign languages, the study of comparative management techniques, and the experience of working and studying abroad. They also facilitate cooperation between educational institutions in different countries, on the premise that this contributes to better relations between nations by deepening understanding of other cultures and social practices. NIBS was formed in 1993 and currently has approximately 70 member institutions in over 30 countries.
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Members of NIBS recognize each other’s qualifications, have a common goal of collaboration, and encourage participation in the following:
The current president of NIBS is Hans van Oudheusden, who also serves as Head of International Relations at the School of Financial Management, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Previously, the position was held by Dr. David Gillingham, who served in the role from its inception in 1993 until 2012, and by Ian Charles, who led the organization from 2012 to 2016.
Accreditation
Since 2008, a key function of the organization has been the accreditation of internationally oriented schools of business around the world. NIBS accreditation is not intended to compete with long-established accreditation bodies, such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA), or the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS); rather, it focuses on the degree to which the business school has become international in all facets of its organization. The NIBS accreditation scheme is thus generally regarded as a supplement to other accreditations, as well as a signal that an institution is committed to "deep" internationalization.
Any full member school of NIBS may apply for accreditation, which consists of a three-step process: completion of a self-assessment questionnaire on internationalization; a visit by an accreditation team; and a decision by the NIBS Board of Directors. As of March 2017, a total of 24 institutions have been accredited by NIBS. These include:
Programs
NIBS operates an annual business conference to present research findings and examine issues related to international business education. The 2017 event will be held in Leeds, UK, and will focus on the role of business schools in preparing students for a rapidly changing global economy. NIBS is also publisher of the NIBS Journal, a peer-reviewed academic journal focused on advancing business theory and practice with relevance to international managers. The organization also sponsors two student competitions aimed at cultivating skills in international business and raising awareness of the importance of an international perspective to management: A business plan competition, and a business case competition.
NIBS Worldwide Case Competition
Founded in 1996, the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition is among the longest-running undergraduate business case competitions in the world. In the current format, adopted in 2013, the event begins with a qualifying round, consisting of a written case analysis conducted under controlled conditions at participating universities. The results of this qualifying round are then used to select the 16 teams that will advance to the championship round, which is held in a host city that rotates from year to year. Past hosts of the championship round include:
The current champion of the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition is Canada's Carleton University, which won the event held at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in February/March, 2017. The next edition of the competition will be hosted by Guatemala's Universidad del Istmo in 2018.