Last week, the Avans School of International Studies (ASIS) in Breda received a certificate to prove its international qualification. The final report on this accreditation was full of praise: ‘ASIS staff and students show a universal support for its international aims and vision.’

ASIS joined the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) in November. This Network unites business schools from several European countries, but also schools from Russia, Canada, et cetera. Besides all sorts of activities, facilities and an e-journal NIBS provides for its members, the network also has its own quality mark.

Wanted

Now ASIS has obtained this mark, after a extensive accreditation procedure. Last Thursday, the day had come: ASIS director Nies Rijnders traveled to the Hogeschool Zuyd in Maastricht to collect the wanted NIBS certificate. Some other business schools who succeeded were also there.

The first of many steps to get the certificate, was making a critical self-analysis. For example, ASIS had to fill in how many nationalities are represented among its students and its staff, and how many study books are in English. Out of 100 points, ASIS gave itself 76 points.

Visit

An accreditation panel of NIBS came to take a look at Avans on April 6th. The panel spoke with several students and teachers, but also checked out Xplora, to see if all facilities were international. ASIS students especially praised the process, arrangements and support given by the school towards studying abroad and internships abroad.

The total review of the panel was very positive: ASIS is doing good, surely compared to several others business schools who are connected to the NIBS. ‘They even thought that we were too modest in filling in our self-analysis’, says a proud director Rijnders. A strength of ASIS, the NIBS found, is the common purpose and support of all stakeholders for the international aims and vision. Rijnders: ‘They really saw unity.’

An example of a point of improvement was the physical appearance of ASIS (the hallway, the total Avans building). This needs a more international look, says NIBS. [LJ]

Read also this previous article:

ASIS wants international quality mark 14-02-2011