Educational Excellence

Last week, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences celebrated its nomination by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and Business Graduates Association (BGA) for the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2022. Specifically, Wittenborg is nominated for the BGA Business School Impact Award. The BGA – of which Wittenborg is a member – is an international quality assurance body for business education institutes. Geared toward institutions striving to ensure lifelong learning, responsible economics and positive societal impact, BGA has 210 member schools, more than 90 of which are AMBA-accredited, and more than 20 of which are accredited jointly by AMBA and BGA. The BGA is currently closed to new candidates.

On the other hand, AMBA is a global organisation which functions as an accreditation and membership body for business schools and graduate programmes. Founded by elite members of the academic and business community, the AMBA Development Network – that Wittenborg is also part of – is a community of business schools on the path toward AMBA accreditation. Despite its far reach of 54 countries, the organisation only accredits an exclusive 2% of business schools worldwide.

Creating Positive Change

Wittenborg's nomination for the BGA Business School Impact Award validates its efforts to create a positive impact on its graduates as well as society at large. According to AMBA and BGA, the award, “promotes the values of positive impact, innovation, responsible management and lifelong learning across areas such as programme design, social outreach programmes, alumni relations, career services and other areas where the business school is demonstrating an impact.” Only BGA members are eligible. Nominee schools or programmes are expected to demonstrate, among other things, growth, continuous improvement and innovation, the capacity to build connections with value, strong curriculum design and good career services.

The two associations highlight that candidates must embed the concept of sustainability throughout the programme, an alumni relations programme centred on support and investment in the local economy and demonstrable benefits to graduates in the form of things such as favourable salary outcomes and employability. Quantitative and qualitative insights from a school into a programme's impact are of particular value to the judges at AMBA and BGA, making a strong research arm an asset to candidates.

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences thanks AMBA and BGA for their acceptance of the school into the pool of potential award winners.

WUP 26/10/2022
by Olivia Nelson
©WUAS Press