The Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at UIC Barcelona has taken a strategic step in its internationalisation process by participating in the AACSB Eligibility Application Workshop held in Vienna. Since February 2023, attending this workshop has been a compulsory requirement for institutions aspiring to obtain the AACSB accreditation, a recognised symbol of excellence in business education.
With only 1,004 accredited institutions across 65 countries (2024 figures), AACSB accreditation is regarded as the most prestigious form of recognition in higher education for business and management. UIC Barcelona is thus positioning itself among the institutions that meet the demanding initial standards required to embark on this rigorous process, which typically takes between four and seven years to complete.
A rigorous process with institutional impact
The workshop in Vienna, attended by lecturer Anna Akhmedova on behalf of UIC Barcelona, offered an in-depth exploration of the 15 accreditation standards. These cover a wide range of areas including institutional mission, learning outcomes, faculty qualifications, relevant research output, quality assurance mechanisms and engagement with the business world.
Akhmedova played an active role in analysing how the AACSB standards apply to the specific context of UIC Barcelona. She worked alongside representatives from other international universities to assess practical case studies and presented UIC Barcelona’s progress in educational innovation and industry engagement. In addition, she established key contacts with members of the AACSB accreditation committee and representatives from European schools that have already completed the process, gaining valuable insights to support the Faculty through the next stages.
“This workshop has enabled us to accurately identify our Faculty’s strengths and the areas we need to develop in order to meet international standards. The knowledge acquired will be crucial in designing our action plan for accreditation,” Akhmedova remarked. Her work in Vienna lays the foundation for the next phase: preparing the eligibility dossier that UIC Barcelona will submit in the coming months.
