Achievement Made Possible by Dedication and Hard Work

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has reached another milestone in its pursuit of excellence in education. On 13 June 2023, the university was awarded the prestigious FIBAA Premium Quality Seal for its Master of Science – Master of Business Management programme. The ceremony took place at the Spoorstraat location in Apeldoorn, where Mag. Diane Freiberger, managing director of the German, Swiss, Austrian accreditation organisation The Foundation for International Business Administration (FIBAA), presented the seal to Wittenborg, acknowledging the programme's exceptional quality and commitment to maintaining a high academic standard and quality.

Out of the 54 requirements assessed, the MBM programme excelled in 12 key areas, including counselling for prospective students, transparency and documentation of admission procedure and decision, integration of theory and practice, guest lecturers, foreign language contents, internal cooperation, student support by faculty, programme director, process organisation and administrative support for students and faculty, quality assurance and quality development with respect to contents processes and outcomes, programme description and information on activities during the academic year.

Notably, the panel evaluating the MBM programme's quality found three areas to be exceptional. Firstly, they praised the international orientation of the study programme design, highlighting its global perspective and relevance in today's interconnected world. Secondly, the diversity and internationality of the student body were commended, emphasising the multicultural learning environment that enhances the overall educational experience. Lastly, the internationality of the faculty was recognised as a key strength, ensuring a wealth of perspectives and expertise from around the globe.

A wonderful ceremony

The ceremony began with a speech by Wittenborg's Assurance of Learning Manager Kriszta Kaspers on the importance of internationalisation and why it is one of Wittenborg's most important values. She stressed how internationalisation is a fundamental criterion for sharing knowledge and wisdom around the world and why Wittenborg is committed to incorporating it into its education and all operations. 

The ceremony continued with the speech of the managing director of FIBAA, Mag. Diane Freiberger, who commended Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences as a well-established private institution, emphasising that the quality of education is a continuous journey of improvement. "With this award, you stand out from other educational institutions and care about the quality of your education. You should be proud of that," she added.

In his speech, Wittenborg President Peter Birdsall recalled where it all began for Wittenborg and the long and bumpy road they had to travel to get to this fantastic position. "When we started in Deventer in 2004, we had an only a few international students from China and Vietnam, and we had never heard of accreditations or how to get them," he said. "Because of our hard work and dedication over the years, we finally got this recognition, which gives us a lot of energy for the future."

In March 2023, Wittenborg received the remarkable news of its MBM programme being awarded the FIBAA Premium Quality Seal. With this honour, Wittenborg stands among only five other educational institutes in the Netherlands to receive such accreditation, solidifying its position as the most international business school in the country. CEO Maggie Feng expressed her enthusiasm, remarking, "We've been saying for years that we are the most international business school of the Netherlands and now we have an external independent body who actually confirms this."

Starting in 2006, WUAS has consistently presented its national NVAO (Nederlands Vlaamse Accreditatie Organisatie) accreditations in English. Each accreditation panel is made up of international experts, and the subsequent reports prepared in English. NVAO accredits WUAS's English-language programmes. Additionally, Wittenborg holds Certification for Internationalisation for its Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programmes from the esteemed European Consortium of Accreditation (ECA), affirming its commitment to fostering a global learning environment. The Premium Quality Seal for its MBM programme and the recognition of its outstanding internationalisation strategies further validates the quality of Wittenborg's programmes on a global scale.

Keep innovating to stay at the top

The ceremony was attended by Wittenborg's Advisory Board members Pauline Verheijen-Dop and chairman Rijn Platteel, who were both very impressed with the institute's outstanding achievements. "I think we have a unique selling point from now on, by calling ourselves not only the most international school, but also a school that offers premium educational quality," said Verheijen-Dop. "We have to keep looking for developments in the business world to match the students' skills and maintain or even improve this high quality of education. The business world is very much in flux and things move fast, so Wittenborg must also move fast to keep up with the pace and I am confident they can do that."

Rijn Platteel can only agree with the insightful words of his fellow Advisory Board member: "This seal puts Wittenborg on another level, but it also comes with a great responsibility. We know we are competing with the best universities in Europe. They must keep working on new accreditations, but also keep working in other areas. Think about offering new master's programmes and bachelor's, but also entering new partnerships to keep ourselves sharp and keep improving the programmes," he says.

WUP 24/06/2023
by Niels Otterman
©WUAS Press