International accreditation has been one of the most important strategies for China’s business schools in their push to go global. Currently, 12 business schools in China have been accredited by EQUIS and the first programme to receive EPAS accreditation has been recently announced. Both accreditations (that are managed by EFMD) have brought value, insight, quality improvement and quality assurance to the Chinese market.

Clearly, great progress has been made but more can be done to bring the community of accredited schools closer together. Providing a platform to improve strategic cooperation and share common issues, whilst also working together to upgrade the management educational quality of Chinese business schools as a whole, has to be seen as a priority. A shared and common voice for Chinese management education, with the support of the leading schools and EFMD, sends a clear message to the management education community around the world that Chinese management education is united, forward-looking and of high quality. It is with this spirit that Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and EFMD feel compelled to initiate this event.

The Deans of the 12 EQUIS accredited business schools from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan will be invited to the summit. In addition, the other Chinese business schools on the path to EQUIS or EPAS will be invited, as will schools taking their first steps in finding out more about accreditation and what is involved.

The Summit theme will be ‘How EQUIS/EPAS can improve your Business School and will include high-level presentations from EFMD on the standards and criteria for EQUIS & EPAS with the input of 4 senior Chinese Deans who will give a first-hand account of the accreditation process and the impact it has had on their schools and strategy. The Deans will also discuss a common problem, which is how to better integrate the accreditation standards with schools’ practices in the local environment.

It will be a great honour for Antai and EFMD to host this first gathering of the EQUIS accredited business schools and it is our profound hope that this is the first meeting of many, as we look to strengthen the collaboration and partnerships among the leading schools.

Deans, Associate Deans, International Accreditation Directors, International Affairs Director of business schools in Mainland China and region of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.