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Financial Times 'Top MBA' listing features the EBS MBA programme

On 17 March 2008, the Financial Times once again published its special feature on distance learning and online MBAs.

As in previous years, the EBS MBA programme was listed as the largest international MBA, the largest in Europe and the largest in the world outside the USA.

Click here to view the FT table of 'Top MBAs'.

The FT interviewed EBS Director Professor Keith Lumsden and Business Director Alick Kitchin in the same feature. Click here to read the full article.

(Published on 21 April 2008)

EBS hosts evening for alumni and students in the Cayman Islands

Edinburgh Business School hosted an evening for alumni and students on 9 April 2008 at the Marriott Beach Resort in Georgetown, Cayman Islands.

The event, hosted by Daniel Pease (President of EBS Americas), gave alumni and students of EBS programmes an opportunity to share views and experiences from their MBA studies.

(The photo shows, from left to right: Yvonne Storey, Steve Ali, Daniel Pease, Melissa Leslie, Denise Gower, Keith Higgins, Phillipa Wright and Ormond Williams.)

(Published on 18 April 2008)

First Arabic language collaboration

On 23 January 2008, EBS Business Director Alick Kitchin visited Cairo to sign a partnership agreement with Ain Shams University.

Ain Shams is the second largest university in Egypt and the collaboration, between EBS, Ain Shams and EBS's Arab world partner Arab International Education, is the first to provide the EBS MBA programme in the Arabic language.

Alick Kitchin is seen here at the signing ceremony with Dr Hussein Eissa (Dean of Faculty of Commerce and Professor of Accounting and Auditing) and Mrs Marie-Betsy Sayegh Akl (Managing Director of Arab International Education).

Several members of Ain Shams University faculty were also present at the ceremony, which was covered by national press and television.

(Published on 12 February 2008)

EBS collaboration with Banamex/Citibank

EBS Americas, the Miami-based EBS regional office responsible for the USA, Central and South America, has just completed an arrangement with one of the largest banks in Mexico, Banamex/Citibank, to offer the EBS MBA programme to their clients across the region.

This decision was based on a review of the flexibility and coverage of the EBS MBA programme, as well as its availability for study and assessment in the Spanish language.

Danny Pease, CEO of EBS Americas said: "The decision by Banamex/Citibank to adopt the EBS MBA programme as their recommendation to their millions of customers reflects the value that Banamex/Citibank place on providing an excellent service to their clients, and also their high regard for the EBS programme."

Banamex/Citibank will be promoting this relationship from January 2008. Further information is available from the EBS Americas office (+1 305 358 9305).

(Published on 18 January 2008)

Professor Keith Lumsden joins EBS alumni and students in Los Angeles, USA

Edinburgh Business School hosted an event on 29 October 2007 at the Biltmore Millennium in Los Angeles, USA. Twenty-five alumni and students attended the event; over drinks and canapés, they shared their recent and past experiences.

Daniel Pease (President of EBS Americas) hosted the event and introduced keynote speaker Professor Keith Lumsden (Director of EBS), who shared his creative vision of how he took the EBS MBA programme and made it one of the most respected around the world.

Andrew Lewis (Consul for Trade and Investment for the British Consulate in Los Angeles and a current student on the programme) and Alex Simonini (Vice President of the US West Region for Scottish Development International and the current EBS Local Alumni Ambassador in the US) spoke of their personal experiences of the MBA programme. They shared similar views on the knowledge gained through each course, the sense of accomplishment received after successfully passing each examination, and the value they have derived from the EBS MBA.

(Published on 13 November 2007)

Invest in education, says EBS business director

In a recent article in the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times, EBS business director Alick Kitchin discussed corporate investment in employees' MBA programmes and the issue of subsequent staff retention.

During the interview, which took place during his recent visit to South Africa, Alick commented:

"Every company has a succession issue and the generation rising to management level currently is generally seen as less loyal than the previous leaders, but failing to train people out of fear is counterproductive. MBAs are not the cause of the problem. As long as all employees continue to move more frequently, companies need to find ways to keep them."

To read the article in full, click here.

(Published on 13 November 2007)

EBS Americas attend CLADEA annual meeting in Miami

Created 40 years ago, The Latin American Council of Business Schools (CLADEA) is one of the largest networks of business schools globally.

This international organisation provides a system for international cooperation and ties of reciprocal membership with the major academic institutions in the world.

CLADEA has more than 140 affiliated schools in Latin America, North America, Europe and Oceania; these are higher education institutions dedicated to teaching and research in the area of administration, both public and private.

This year, its annual meeting was hosted by the Florida International University (FIU) in Miami where deans, associate deans, programme directors and faculty members from institutions from over 20 countries had the opportunity to attend workshops on a wide variety of themes such as human capital, competitiveness and innovation and entrepreneurship in Latin America as well as other more traditional academic subjects.

EBS Americas was invited by the Dean of the Graduate School of Business at FIU to attend the conference as an exhibitor; Alejandro Ogarrio, Director of the EBS Americas office in Mexico, was invited to present at the strategies for distance learning workshop.

This event was a unique opportunity for EBS to network with important institutions in Latin America that are constantly looking to establish academic alliances with other universities in order to broaden their academic offering.

(Published on 12 November 2007)

July 2007 graduation in Edinburgh

On 10 July 2007, Heriot-Watt University held its summer graduation ceremony to confer degrees on graduands of EBS programmes. Over 150 graduands made the journey to Edinburgh to accept their degree in person from Baroness Susan Greenfield, Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, at a ceremony in the James Watt Centre on the main university campus.

The ceremony was followed by a garden party in the sunken garden in the grounds of the university, where champagne and strawberries were served to graduates and their friends and family on a warm and sunny Scottish summer day.

Click here to download a ZIP folder containing more photos of the day.

(Published on 8 August 2007)

New access to EBS content

Shortened versions of all the EBS course textbooks are now available for download from this website. The PDF files, which can be downloaded as a series ZIP folders, include the preliminary pages, table of contents and the entire first module. They are available in English, Spanish and Chinese.

These PDFs have been made available in response to students’ comments that identified the need to access contents lists to help decide which course to study next, particularly when choosing electives. In addition, the shortened PDFs will help prospective students to understand the details of EBS's courses before signing up to a programme. The PDFs will also be of interest to alumni who would like to understand better the contents of courses they did not complete as part of their programme, with a view to completing a course as a stand-alone entity.

To access the PDFs, click here.

(Published on 30 May 2007)

Heriot-Watt professor hosts workshop at Glamis Business School

Professor Brian Robertson of Heriot-Watt University's School of Built Environment will host a workshop organised by Glamis Business School, EBS's approved learning partner in Mauritius.

The workshop, entitled 'Project Management - Access Issues in Buildings', takes place at the University of Mauritius between 4pm and 7pm on 31 May 2007.

Professor Robertson, an experienced consulting engineer with an interest in disability access issues, will discuss the problems faced by people with disabilities and examines the concept of barrier-free buildings.

If you would like to attend this event, fill in the registration form and return it to Glamis Business School, Glamis Campus, 383 Royal Road, Bonne-Terre Vacoas, Mauritius. Tel: (+230) 427 2000; fax: (+230) 427 4000; email: glamis@intnet.mu.

(Published on 18 May 2007)

Heriot-Watt is the first European university granted approval to teach its MBA in Australia

Under the New South Wales Higher Education Act, the Director-General of New South Wales has responsibility for registering an institution as an overseas university, but only if the Australian Minister of Education so approves.

The Minister of Education has approved Heriot-Watt University's application for registration as an overseas university. This means that EBS can offer the MBA programme with tuition in Australia, providing more flexibility to support existing distance-learning students in that region.

Heriot-Watt is the first European university to be recognised in this way under the Act.

(Published on 5 April 2007)

EBS MBA programme listed as largest outside the USA

In a major feature in the Financial Times newspaper on 22 March 2007, the EBS MBA programme was compared on various criteria to 32 other major global programmes.

EBS was listed by the FT as the largest provider in Europe, and the second largest in the world (second only to the vast, for-profit Phoenix University).

Click here to read the full summary table of 32 top programmes covered in the 8-page feature.

(Published on 5 April 2007)

EBS regional conference, Miami

On 28–30 March 2007, EBS hosted its first conference in Miami for the EBS student services team now based in Miami, Caracas, Mexico and Bogota.

The team, all of whom are fluent in English and Spanish, is available to assist all students in the USA, Central and South America who are interested in EBS programmes, or currently studying EBS programmes.

The Spanish language version of the MBA is proving to be in high demand, with over 100 students now enrolled across the continents.

(Published on 5 April 2007)

EBS on the road in Canada

Craig Knowles, EBS regional director for Canada, is travelling the length and breadth of the country hosting informal information evenings about Edinburgh Business School and its programmes.

EBS has several hundred active students in Canada and over 700 alumni. The roadshows provide an opportunity for prospective students to meet alumni, and for the EBS community to network and get information on the current programmes.

Craig Knowles commented: "Since joining the EBS team last year, I have run information sessions from the Yukon to Vancouver and to the eastern seaboard. It's great to get students and alumni from all over the country to meet and talk together. It's a powerful network."

(Published on 3 April 2007)

First Arabic MBA from a European university

EBS and Heriot-Watt University have announced the launch of the Arabic MBA programme, the first complete translation of a full MBA programme from a major European university into the Arabic language.

The announcement was made at a reception at the Semiramis Hotel in Cairo on Saturday 17 February 2007. This project has been undertaken in association with Arab International Education, a well-respected Lebanese educational company whose CEO, Marie-Betsy Sayegh Akl, was Master of Ceremonies at the event.

The collaboration between EBS and Arab International Education was formed in 2002, and since then scholars from the UK and across the Arab world have been working as a team to produce this translation. The partners anticipate that this programme will have a major impact on Arabic corporations and ensure that Arabic-speaking students are well prepared with the business skills necessary for successful careers. The first intake of students is expected later this year.

Professor Keith Lumsden, Director of EBS, commented: "Arabic is a major global language and the Arab world is a centre for business and industrial development. We are proud to have worked with Arab International Education to develop our educational programmes to meet the demands of the region."

As well as Professor Lumsden, other keynote speakers at the event were Professor Anton Muscatelli, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, and His Excellency Dr Youssef Boutros-Ghali, Minister of Finance for the Egyptian Government. The British Ambassador to Egypt, His Excellency the Right Honourable Sir Derek Plumbly, was also in attendance.

Over 350 guests attended the event, including 40 of the 230 MBA graduates from Arab countries who have already completed the MBA in English; these graduates were presented in a formal ceremony to Principal Muscatelli.

In a separate ceremony, Heriot-Watt University presented an honorary degree to Khalil Sayegh, Chairman and co-founder of Arab International Education and Chairman of its parent company, the Librarie du Liban. Dr Sayegh has dedicated his life's work to the provision of educational services and learning materials across the Arab world.

For further information about the Arabic MBA, click here.

(Published on 22 February 2007)

EBS graduate to be President of MBA Advisory Board in Denmark

Maunu von Lüders, an Edinburgh Business School MBA graduate and CEO of FlyNordic, has agreed to become the President of the EBS MBA Scandinavian Centre Advisory Board.

Robert Hartnett, Director of the Scandinavian Centre, commented: "We are delighted that such a distinguished graduate has accepted the position as our President, and has chosen to make his MBA knowledge and extensive business insight available to our students as part of our teaching team."

Maunu von Lüders will also teach at the on-campus MBA programme in Hilleroed, Denmark, as a visiting tutor in Organisational Behaviour, Making Strategies Work and Marketing.

After studying for his EBS MBA while working as the General Manager of Finnair for Denmark and Iceland, Maunu von Lüders went on to become Vice President, Alliances and International Relations in Helsinki. He then moved to Vancouver to take up the post of Vice-President Sales of the One World Global Airline Alliance before accepting the top post at FlyNordic in Stockholm.

(Published on 15 November 2006)

ACCA provides a fast-track route to an EBS MSc in Financial Management

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Edinburgh Business School have signed a joint agreement to enable ACCA members, affiliates and Part 3 students to gain an MSc in Financial Management through distance learning or face-to-face study at EBS's global network of learning partners.

ACCA members, affiliates and Part 3 students can gain fast-track entry through credit transfer, recognising the value of their ACCA qualification. The programme offers great flexibility, and students can study the modular courses from anywhere in the world, in the order of their choice, and without fixed start and end dates.

Each course is subject to a 3-hour exam, held in 350 locations around the world every 6 months, in all subjects. Every course requires approximately 200 hours of study, which if relevant to a member's current or future job role can count towards the annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement under ACCA's CPD programme.

Clare Minchington, Managing Director, Education, Learning and Development at ACCA, said: "This is a truly flexible course open to ACCA members, affiliates and Part 3 students around the world who wish to complement their ACCA professional qualification with a masters degree from a prestigious and world-renowned university."

Alick Kitchin, Business Director at Edinburgh Business School, said: "ACCA and Edinburgh Business School have a common vision to provide lifelong learning opportunities to meet the needs of working professionals all over the world. Both offer high-quality learning content and support, and both maintain quality and standards through final examinations."

The agreement with Edinburgh Business School is part of ACCA's strategy to link with internationally respected universities to give ACCA members opportunities to undertake relevant postgraduate training as part of ACCA's commitment to CPD.

(Published on 8 November 2006)

EBS appoints Canadian regional director

Canada has always been an important country for EBS: the MBA has attracted significant numbers of students there and produced many Canadian alumni. EBS has appointed Craig Knowles as its regional director with immediate effect. Craig can be contacted at:

Email: craig@ebscanada.net

Tel: 1 800 607 2779 (toll free) / 1 905 597 4075

Craig will be responsible for expanding our student base in Canada, dealing with regulatory issues and planning support for our current students. He has significant personal experience of the EBS programmes, and will be assisted by his wife Rochelle.

(Published on 6 November 2006)

EBS launches www.ebschinese.net

Edinburgh Business School today launched a marketing website entirely in the Chinese language for distance learning students: www.ebschinese.net.

This builds on EBS's initiative in translating all the learning materials (text- and web-based) for its MBA programme into simplified Chinese, and will enable the School to attract and support students who do not have access to an Approved Learning Partner.

EBS already has students resident across China, and in the past 12 months has run over 250 examinations in the Chinese language.

(Published on 6 November 2006)

Latin Business Spirit Gala Awards

Edinburgh Business School has awarded MBA scholarships to Juan Carlos Arbelaez and Juan Manuel Pulleiro.

Juan Carlos and Juan Manuel received the awards, in the face of strong competition, as a result of their discipline, interest, level of maturity, experience and their 1000-word pieces on the reasons they wanted to study for an Edinburgh Business School MBA.

The gala dinner was held at The Biltmore, Los Angeles, USA on 12 October and was attended by over 100 guests. The Hispanic Heritage Award was one of ten awards presented for various Hispanic achievements. Juan Carlos (third from right) is pictured with his mother. Also pictured are Greg McComb (far right), Editor and Publisher of Latin Business, and Daniel Pease (second from right), President of EBS Americas.

(Published on 24 October 2006)

Heriot-Watt University appoints new Principal

Heriot-Watt University's Court has approved the appointment of Professor Antonio (Anton) Muscatelli as the new Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University.

Professor Muscatelli will take up his appointment on 1 February 2007.

Professor Muscatelli is presently the Daniel Jack Professor of Political Economy in the Department of Economics, University of Glasgow and Vice-Principal (Strategy, Budgeting and Advancement).

Professor Muscatelli comments:

"I am delighted to be appointed Principal of Heriot-Watt University; Heriot-Watt is recognised internationally for excellence in teaching and research in its specialist areas of science, engineering, languages, business and management, and design."

(Published on 16 October 2006)