School of Business Administration (SBA) at South China University of Technology (SCUT), has officially obtained the EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation, following an official notification from EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development). With this achievement, the School has secured three prestigious global business school accreditations (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA), joining the top 1% triple-crown business schools in the world.
The EQUIS peer review team (PRT) conducted an on site visit from 8 to 11 June 2026. Chaired by Professor John Finch, the vice dean of the University of Glasgow’s College of Social Sciences, the panel included Professor Joan Rodon of ESADE Business School, Professor Gu Wei, Dean of the School of Economics and Management at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, and Dr. Aliki Jaworska, EMEA HR Vice President at Parker Hannifin Corporation.
During the visit, the PRT hosted more than ten meetings with various groups, including university level and school-level leadership, representatives of the School Strategic Advisory Committee, degree programme teams, faculty representatives, student representatives, representatives of alumni and industry practitioners, and administrative staff. The PRT systematically evaluated the School against the EQUIS standards in terms of strategic development, programme, talent cultivation, faculty, research, resources and management, internationalization, ethics, responsibility and sustainability, and connections with practice. Relevant supporting documents were also reviewed.
President Yang Zhongmin had an in-depth exchange with the PRT regarding the School’s development positioning and future strategic planning. The then-dean Xu Zhi, gave a detailed presentation on SBA’s recent achievements and development strategy. The PRT highly acknowledged SBA’s strengths in interdisciplinary integration built on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and SCUT’s engineering strengths, research and connection with practice. The panel also offered suggestions for SBA’s long term sustainable development.
Having already secured AMBA and AACSB accreditations, the School has remained steadfast in its commitment to high-quality, substance-driven development.
The EQUIS accreditation marks a new milestone. Aligned with the University’s 15th Five-Year Plan and its “two-way internationalization” strategy, SBA will deepen its distinctive integration of engineering and management, foster cross-disciplinary innovation and continuously elevate its academic standards and the quality of education. SBA is committed to becoming an internationally renowned business school rooted in management practice, serving both key national strategies and the growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
About EQUIS Accreditation
Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) is a leading global organization for management development. Developed by EFMD, EQUIS is an international system for quality assessment and accreditation of institutions for higher management education. It aims to advance global business education, foster academia industry links, and encourage business schools to prioritize business ethics, social responsibility and societal sustainability. Together with AACSB and AMBA, EQUIS is one of the three leading global business school accreditations. More than 200 business schools from over 40 countries and regions have obtained EQUIS accreditation.
