Ateneo becomes a member of AACSB

The Ateneo de Manila University, through the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) and the Graduate School of Business, has recently become a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). A global nonprofit organization, AACSB focuses on improving the quality of business education. It is part of the three major accreditation bodies in business schools, along with the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development) Quality Improvement System or EQUIS, and the Association of MBAs or AMBA. Together, they are known as the Triple Crown Accreditation.  

"Among the three, AACSB is the biggest," says Dr. Luis F. Dumlao, JGSOM dean. "Membership allows faculty members access to newsletters, videos, data reports, and research on business and management, which teachers can share with students. It also serves as a stamp of approval; for example, many multilateral bodies require at least a membership before they undergo, collaborate, and partner on projects with Ateneo de Manila. "
 
Membership is the first step towards accreditation, Dumlao notes. The entire process, from membership to accreditation, will cover 4-5 years. An accreditation, he adds, will "give us the highest stamp of approval from the international business association of business schools in the world."
 
The AACSB membership comes at an opportune time for JGSOM as it plans to expand its global footprint in business education.
 
"Even in the middle of the pandemic, we have witnessed how territories are intertwined together in chain supplies and in other areas of commerce. Collaboration and networking open up our vantage on how business, management, and management education is conducted around the world. Moving into the future, the interconnectedness will only get stronger, hence the importance to imbue a global mindset to our students," he says.