University of Economics in Katowice joined the EFMD Programme Accreditation community

Founded in 1972, EFMD is a global, non-profit, membership-driven organisation dedicated to management development. It is recognised globally as an accreditation body for business schools, business school programmes, and corporate universities. Recently, University of Economics in Katowice has joined the EFMD Programme Accreditation community. Vice-Rector for Education and International Cooperation, University of Economics in Katowice Sławomir Smyczek: “The possibility to use the EFMD Accredited logo will definitely strengthen the position and prestige of the University in the country and abroad.”

With a network of 30,000 management professionals from academia, business, public service, and consultancies, EFMD plays a central role in shaping the global approach to management education and provides a unique forum for information, research, networking, and debate on innovation and best practice. EFMD is a network for schools and companies that aim to develop socially responsible leaders and managers looking for opportunities to connect. Alongside our emphasis on educational standards for management education, we firmly believe in bringing companies and academic institutions together and work towards facilitating and strengthening exchanges between the two.

EFMD Accredited is a comprehensive programme accreditation system for business and/or management degrees and courses, including face-to-face, blended and online provisions. It constitutes a benchmark for what is considered an internationally recognised and peer-reviewed programme.

“We are happy to welcome these institutions to the EFMD Programme Accreditation community. The programmes provide students with the tools they need to become competent and responsible professionals in the corporate world. The accreditations demonstrate the institutions’ dedication to business education excellence.” , EFMD Programme Accreditation Director, Barbara Sporn said.

With a strong reputation and good positioning in Poland, University of Economics in Katowice aims to educate top professionals in various fields to support entrepreneurship, business and the public sector in a rapidly developing region. It engages over 8,000 students in a lifelong learning experience. University of Economics in Katowice was founded in 1937 and is the biggest and oldest business school in the region, one of the top universities in Poland. Each year over 8 000 Polish and international students follow our degree program at the Bachelor, Master, Doctoral and Post-diploma levels at our four fields of studies: Finance, Economics, Informatics and Communication and Management.

The Master’s Degree Programme in International Business, University‘s flagship programme, embodies the University’s mission and vision. It is grounded on internationalisation through international cooperation and student exchange while maintaining a strong regional identity. The programme stands out for the vast opportunities offered to students to participate in international projects and the extensive involvement of external stakeholders from the world of practice.

“The EFMD Programme accreditation is one of the most demanding business accreditations, a quality mark recognised all over the world. We have worked for it for over three years, and thus, the feeling of satisfaction is beyond measure. The true value lies not in the accreditation itself but in the very process of self-assessment, reviewing and introducing the measurements to meet the highest – EFMD standards. This experience will undoubtedly improve the quality of education not only within the program but throughout the whole institution. Moreover, the possibility to use the EFMD Accredited logo will definitely strengthen the position and prestige of the University in the country and abroad. Congratulations to all the involved stakeholders on such a great joint success for our Alma Mater!”, Vice-Rector for Education and International Cooperation, University of Economics in Katowice, Sławomir Smyczek said.

EFMD accreditation is one of the most demanding business accreditations to receive – it is a mark of quality recognized worldwide. The basic criterion for obtaining it is a detailed verification of the quality of the program, paying special attention to things such as the position of the program on the national and international market, the relevance of the program for the university, the quality of the knowledge transferred, relations with the business environment and graduates, and the level of academic staff.

The process of obtaining EFMD Accredited took more than three years and consisted of several stages, including the development of a detailed Self-Assessment Report and a virtual visit by the Peer Review Team. This is another international accreditation, following the CEEMAN IQA accreditation for the entire University which was obtained in 2020.