• WBS one of elite band of schools to be accredited by top three bodies
  • EQUIS praised WBS for care and support of students during the pandemic
  • School also commended for research culture and quality careers service
  • Inspectors congratulated the school's widening participation efforts

Warwick Business School has been praised for its high quality standards after successfully having its accreditation renewed by one of the top three global assessing bodies.

EQUIS is the quality inspecting body for the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and after visiting WBS it re-accredited the school for another five years.

WBS has been accredited by EQUIS since 2000 and is one of an elite band of business schools in the world that has accreditation from the top three global bodies – the other two being the Association for MBAs (AMBA) and the US-based Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which the school was the first UK institution to be accredited by in 1999.

The inspecting panel from EQUIS praised WBS for its “unique research culture” and a host of other aspects including the quality of its careers service, the support and care for students - particularly during the pandemic - the diversity of its student body, and its widening participation efforts.

Andy Lockett, Dean and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, said: “We are delighted to have been re-accredited by EQUIS, and to have our strategy and ambition endorsed by its high calibre panel of assessors.

“In addition, it was pleasing to see EQUIS commend the school for the quality and engagement of our staff and the support we have been giving students during the pandemic, which has been a particularly challenging time.

“It also praised our world-class faculty, and our bespoke online learning platform mywbs, which has driven our Distance Learning MBA to number one in the world and proved invaluable during the pandemic.”

Since the last inspection by EQUIS in 2016, WBS has grown extensively, adding a £30 million extension to its Warwick campus and expanding its WBS London base at The Shard into a second floor.

WBS London has allowed the school to greatly expand its executive education to include the PhD equivalent for senior executives, the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), a suite of new Executive Diplomas, and a series of open programmes, which includes Behavioural Science in Practice.

EQUIS recognised the strength of the school’s research, especially in behavioural science with obvious impact on society through the likes of Nick Chater being on the UK’s Climate Change Committee, which advises the Government on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and Ivo Vlaev, who was part of the NHS COVID Behaviour Change Unit during the pandemic.

In healthcare Graeme Currie’s research has helped hospitals reduce the length of stay of elderly patients, while Nicola Burgess is leading a long-term assessment of the UK’s National Health Service’s partnership with the US-based Virginia Mason Institute and its pioneering use of lean principles adapted from car manufacturer Toyota. 

Professor Lockett added: “To achieve this accreditation is not only a mark of high quality for a business school, but also a commitment to continuous improvement in many important areas, from governance and programmes to sustainability and corporate engagement. We are looking forward to being part of the EQUIS process for another five years.”