

Elevate: Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Accreditation and regional trends
November 27 – 28
Seville, Sevilla, Spain

Agenda Timezone:
Agenda:
Agenda Timezone:
CET
Central European Time
Thursday
November 27
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM CET
Exhibitor Showcase
Connect with peers, meet exhibitors, and explore fresh ideas in the Exhibitor Showcase, a space designed to help you build relationships, discover new solutions, and make the most of your time at the conference.
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM CET
Refreshments and Networking
Begin your day by networking over coffee. This is an excellent opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, make new connections, and discuss the sessions ahead.
8:45 AM - 9:30 AM CET
Responsible Management Education Affinity Group
Session Details are Coming Soon! This session is open to all attendees regardless of membership in the group or AACSB.
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM CET
Explore & Engage
Network with peers and check out the Discover AACSB area to explore our products and services, including the Academy, technology and data, and additional resources to support your institution.
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM CET
The Future of Business Schools in EMEA
Leaders from across EMEA share how their business schools are navigating shifting student expectations, resource constraints, and competitive pressures—while also adapting to the geopolitical forces shaping higher education. This panel will highlight creative solutions to local challenges, explore inclusive strategies for recruiting international faculty and students, and examine how internationalization and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are driving innovation and relevance. By addressing the intersection of geopolitics, global talent flows, DEI, and the evolving state of business education, panelists will show how schools are building resilience, fostering inclusive excellence, and strengthening their global connections.
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM CET
(A1) Integrating Alumni Career Outcomes into Strategic Planning
How can schools transform their values into measurable, strategic action? This session will provide practical insights into using alumni career outcomes as a catalyst for aligning mission, vision, and impact. Attendees will explore strategies such as forming advisory committees to guide decision-making, developing KPIs across key areas (education, research, outreach/service, and procedures), and embedding these measures into existing structures like quality assurance and governance. Participants will leave with tools and examples they can adapt to their own schools to connect alumni outcomes with long-term strategic planning and create a more values-driven educational experience.
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM CET
(A2) Faculty Qualifications and Deployment in EMEA
From an accreditation perspective, faculty qualifications and deployment are central to ensuring quality and impact in business education. In the EMEA region, schools face the dual challenge of aligning with global accreditation standards while responding to local needs and expectations. This session will explore how institutions are addressing the balance between academic credentials and practice-based expertise, developing sustainable pipelines for local faculty talent, and navigating recruitment and retention challenges in a competitive global market. Speakers will also discuss strategies for supporting ongoing faculty development, strengthening research capacity, and fostering industry engagement — all while maintaining accreditation requirements and ensuring positive outcomes for graduates.
1:00 PM - 5:15 PM CET
Exhibitor Showcase
Connect with peers, meet exhibitors, and explore fresh ideas in the Exhibitor Showcase, a space designed to help you build relationships, discover new solutions, and make the most of your time at the conference.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CET
Advancing Research Impact: Lessons from European Business Schools
Building on the themes of the Research Impact Task Force’s exposure draft framework, this session explores how business schools can demonstrate that their research makes a difference—beyond publications and rankings. Highlighting examples from schools across Europe, panelists will discuss how they define, measure, and communicate research impact. They will share strategies that uphold scholarly rigor while also ensuring societal, business, and policy relevance. Attendees will gain practical insights into integrating impact into their research culture, strengthening institutional narratives, and positioning their schools as drivers of meaningful change.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM CET
Explore & Engage
Network with peers and check out the Discover AACSB area to explore our products and services, including the Academy, technology and data, and additional resources to support your institution.
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM CET
(B1) Assurance of Learning: Driving Continuous Improvement
Assurance of Learning (AoL) is more than a compliance exercise—it’s a strategic tool for improving curricula, informing teaching, and demonstrating impact. This session explores innovative and practical approaches to designing, implementing, and using assessment processes that support continuous improvement. Hear from schools across the EMEA region on how they are aligning learning goals with mission, engaging faculty in meaningful assessment, and turning data into actionable insights. Whether you're refining your AoL system or building one from the ground up, this session will offer tools, examples, and solutions to shared challenges to enhance your approach.
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM CET
(B2) Decoding the Mystique of Rankings: What They Mean for Business Schools
Rankings play a powerful role in shaping the identity, strategy, and reputation of business schools worldwide. Yet the methodologies and weightings behind them are often misunderstood, creating both opportunities and challenges. This session will demystify how rankings are constructed and uncover what lies beneath the numbers. We will begin with a presentation on the mechanics of rankings—how institutions are evaluated, the factors that carry the most weight, and common myths that persist. Then, business schools will share their perspectives on why rankings matter to their institution and how they influence priorities in teaching, research, and strategic direction.
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM CET
From Your Voice to Our Vision: The Future of AACSB Standards
As AACSB prepares for the 2026 refresh of its business and accounting accreditation standards, it has launched a global listening tour to gather members’ feedback and understand current priorities. This interactive session features key leaders from the Standards Task Force who will share emerging themes and stakeholder insights from around the world. The conversation will explore evolving expectations around rigor, relevance, innovation, and societal impact. Attendees will gain early visibility into potential refinements and have a chance to engage directly in shaping the next phase of AACSB’s accreditation standards.
5:30 PM - 6:15 PM CET
UK and Ireland Regional Network Meeting
Personalising Student Engagement and Success in an AI-driven World: How can business schools ensure students are engaged and successful in a rapidly changing environment shaped by AI, growing mental health pressures, and new approaches to assessment and technology? This interactive session, hosted by the AACSB UK & Ireland Regional Network, invites participants to share experiences, challenges, and effective practices through structured roundtable discussions. Together, we will explore how to personalise student journeys, strengthen engagement, and support well-being. The session will conclude with three clear, actionable takeaways that attendees can apply within their own institutions, ensuring their engagement strategies are inclusive, innovative, and future-ready. Session is open to all attendees!
Jean Cushen
Deputy Head of School, Accreditation and Quality Assurance
School of Business
Maynooth University
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM CET
Networking Dinner
Relax and enjoy the company of your colleagues. This networking dinner is the perfect opportunity to unwind and continue the day’s discussions in a more informal setting.
Friday
November 28
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM CET
Africa Regional Network
Session Details Coming Soon! This session is open to all attendees regardless of membership in the group or AACSB!
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM CET
Exhibitor Showcase
Connect with peers, meet exhibitors, and explore fresh ideas in the Exhibitor Showcase, a space designed to help you build relationships, discover new solutions, and make the most of your time at the conference.
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM CET
Refreshments & Networking
Begin the final day with networking over coffee. Reflect on the insights gained and prepare for the final sessions.
8:45 AM - 9:30 AM CET
European Regional Network Meeting
The year is 2033, what’s keeping us up at night? Objectives: Task I: List potential challenges for the given years and discuss and share your group’s solutions for each challenge. Task II: Complete a SWOT analysis for your group’s selected topic for the year 2033. Session is open to all attendees!
9:45 AM - 10:30 AM CET
Insights from a Peer Review Team and Q&A
What makes a PRT visit successful, and what common missteps can schools avoid? In this open and interactive discussion, seasoned Peer Review Team members will share firsthand insights from recent accreditation visits and offer practical guidance on how schools can prepare with clarity and confidence. From aligning documentation to organizing stakeholder meetings and creating a transparent narrative, this session invites candid dialogue on what works, what doesn’t, and what surprises even well-prepared schools. Bring your questions, experiences, and topics for discussion to this informal, insight-rich session designed to demystify the visit and support continuous improvement through accreditation.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM CET
Explore & Engage
Network with peers and check out the Discover AACSB area to explore our products and services, including the Academy, technology and data, and additional resources to support your institution.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CET
Keynote II: Bridging the Readiness Gap: What Employers Want, What Graduates Need
As the workplace evolves, so does the demand for skills that prepare graduates to succeed from day one. This panel brings together business leaders from across the EMEA region to discuss the readiness gap: where graduates excel, where they fall short, and how business schools and employers can better align expectations. This conversation will spotlight insights from local business leaders on what today’s employers are really looking for—from technical competencies to human-centered skills—and how schools can adapt programs, partnerships, and curricula to close the gap. Attendees will leave with practical ideas to strengthen graduate employability and enhance connections between education and industry.
1:00 PM - 4:30 PM CET
Exhibitor Showcase
Connect with peers, meet exhibitors, and explore fresh ideas in the Exhibitor Showcase, a space designed to help you build relationships, discover new solutions, and make the most of your time at the conference.
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM CET
(C1) Advancing Sustainability Leadership in Business Schools
Despite growing global urgency, sustainability remains underrepresented in accreditation standards and business school strategy. This session shares insights from research on how business schools can develop and implement Carbon Management Plans (CMPs) as a foundational step toward climate accountability. Drawing attention to the gap between environmental imperatives and institutional practices, it explores how schools can embed carbon planning into operations and leadership, setting the stage for deeper curricular integration. The session invites a candid discussion on rethinking business education’s role in advancing sustainability.
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM CET
(C2) Strengthening Financial Resilience: Strategies for Sustainable Growth
Economic volatility, shifting funding models, and rising operational costs are challenging business schools to think differently about financial health. This session explores how institutions across EMEA are building financial resilience through diversification, innovation, and strategic alignment. Learn from peers who are navigating budget pressures, creating new revenue streams, and aligning financial planning with long-term mission and impact. Whether you're facing resource constraints or preparing for future uncertainty, this session offers practical insights to support sustainable financial decision-making.
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM CET
Explore & Engage
Network with peers and check out the Discover AACSB area to explore our products and services, including the Academy, technology and data, and additional resources to support your institution.
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM CET
Shifting Borders: Understanding Global Mobility Trends
Student and faculty mobility patterns are evolving in response to geopolitical shifts, visa policies, remote learning, and changing learner expectations. This session explores how business schools across the EMEA region are adapting to these dynamics—attracting international talent, designing cross-border partnerships, and supporting global experiences in new formats. Experts will share recent data, case studies, and practical approaches to navigating uncertainty while expanding global reach and relevance. Whether you're rethinking your mobility strategy or forging new international pathways, this session offers insights to help you stay agile and globally connected.
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM CET
AI Spotlight: Innovations Shaping Business Education
In this fast-paced, mini TED talk-style session, business schools from across the EMEA region will share powerful, bite-sized stories of how they are using artificial intelligence to transform learning, research, and operations. Each presenter will have just a few minutes to showcase their most innovative AI initiative —whether it’s reimagining curriculum design, enhancing assessment, supporting more engaging teaching and student learning, leveraging new research tools, or streamlining operations and administrative processes. From personalizing student experiences to strengthening faculty research and improving classroom engagement, this session will spotlight practical, high-impact examples of AI’s role in shaping the future of business education.
4:15 PM - 4:30 PM CET
Conference Closing
Eileen McAuliffe, Executive Vice President, Chief Thought Leadership Officer and EMEA of AACSB International will wrap up the event by reflecting on the key themes and takeaways.