‘Monumental achievement’: Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (far right) receiving the Equis accreditation certificate from Prof Mohd Roslan. Looking on are UPM registrar Muhazam Mansor (far left) and Prof Bany Ariffin (third from left).
LOCAL and international students at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) can now acquire European-accredited business degrees at a much affordable fee.
Malaysians can complete a three-semester Master of Business Administration programme for RM26,650, while foreign students can obtain their undergraduate, master’s and postgraduate degrees for one-fifth of the fee in developed countries.
This comes at the wake of the varsity’s School of Business and Economics (SPE) having received the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Quality Improvement System (Equis) accreditation.
The accreditation, said SPE dean Prof Dr Bany Ariffin Amin Noordin, was a monumental achievement for UPM, making it the first and only Malaysian university to hold the international recognition.
“Currently, there are 209 Equis-accredited schools across the globe. With an estimated 16,000 business schools worldwide, UPM SPE now joins the 2% elite group of Equis-accredited business schools,” he said in a press release.
Prof Bany Ariffin added that the accreditation was a significant milestone in the school’s journey to becoming one of the leading Asian business schools.
“We are incredibly proud to be the first and only homegrown business school in Malaysia to have obtained this prestigious recognition.
“This would lead the way for SPE to enhance collaborations with industry, local communities, and other top business schools worldwide,” he said, adding that the accreditation would provide more opportunities to enhance the quality and marketability of its students.
UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Roslan Sulaiman said the accreditation was a testament to SPE’s commitment to providing excellent education to its students and underscored the quality of its programmes, faculty and research.
“The Equis accreditation is a valuable addition to the school’s existing Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. It reinforces the school’s position as a leading provider of business education in Malaysia and globally.
“This achievement is also in line with UPM’s vision to become a university of international repute,” he added.
Prior to the award, SPE underwent a rigorous evaluation process, which included an in-depth self-assessment report, followed by an online visit from a peer review team of international experts.
The areas assessed covered all aspects of a business school’s operation, benchmarking against international standards in governance, programmes, students, faculty, research, internationalisation, ethics, responsibility and sustainability, and corporate engagement. To be awarded the Equis accreditation, a business school must demonstrate that it meets the highest international standards in each of these areas.
Moving forward, SPE will undergo its quinquennially reaccreditation process with the AACSB in March.
Both Equis and AACSB are leading international systems of quality assessment and accreditation for business and management schools worldwide.
According to the press release, SPE has the largest number of international students among all the faculties at UPM – with enrolments from over 30 different countries, including many from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Africa.
The international community, it added, not only provides students with the opportunity to learn from one another, but also prepares them for a globalised job market, where it is increasingly important to have the experience of working with people from diverse backgrounds.
