The College of Economics and Political Science at the Sultan Qaboos University made a prestigious achievement by obtaining the academic accreditation of all its programs from the European Foundation for Management Development as the first and only government college in the entire Middle East to receive this accreditation. In this context, Dr. Khamis Bin Hamed Al- Yahyaee, the Dean of the College of Economics & Political Science stated that “This is a remarkable achievement and mark a new milestone in the college history. It is a testament to the rigor and high quality of our academic programs. It comes as a result of the continuous efforts of the College to achieve leadership in business education and build a knowledge society. This is the most important achievement since the college was opened in 1993".
Dr. Khamis added: "Since its establishment, the College worked with high professionalism and continuous endeavor to achieve all the requirements for accreditation by applying quality systems and standards according to a well-defined strategic plans”. He added that "This international accreditation will enhance the competitiveness of the college, help college graduates to get admitted at well reputed international universities, and will enhance the confidence of the labor market in the college graduates, and will open up broad prospects for strengthening partnership with the private sector not only at the local level but in the region as a whole, and will help attract talent to work in the college, and will contribute to strengthening cooperation with international universities to launch joint programs at the postgraduate level."
He added: "I would like to extend my sincere thanks and deep appreciation to the management of the Sultan Qaboos University, the Advisory Board, the College Alumi, the academic, administrative, technical staff, students and partners and all those who contributed and participated in this process, which undoubtedly would not have been achieved without their sincere efforts and valuable contributions that culminated in achieving this accomplishment, and that the College will continue to introduce new programs at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels that meet all international standards and practices. "
It is worth noting that EQUIS is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration. EQUIS has established its prestige and recognition worldwide and has accredited the top 1% – 174 institutions in 41 countries, since its launch in 1997. CEPS at SQU decided to go for EQUIS accreditation and got the membership in 2015. The eligibility for accreditation was granted in 2016.
The college decided to undergo EQUIS accreditation to ensure a rigorous quality control, benchmarking the college against international standards in terms of governance, programs, students, faculty, research, and internationalization. Dr. Rafi Ashrafi, CEPS EQUIS Accreditation Team Leader said that accreditation by a reputed international agency like EQUIS ensures responsibility and sustainability, as well as corporate engagement of the institution. EQUIS covers all academic programs offered by a college.
EQUIS looks for a balance between high academic quality and the professional relevance provided by interaction with the corporate world. A strong interface with the world of business is, therefore, as much a requirement as strong research potential. EQUIS attaches particular importance to the creation of an effective learning environment that favors the development of students’ managerial and entrepreneurial skills and fosters their personal development and sense of global responsibility. Dr. Rafi noted that EQUIS accreditation has had a positive influence on the quality assessment and improvement of business schools.