At the end of 2022, the Swiss Accreditation Council (SAC) accredited IMD as a University Institute, a major achievement that will further enhance our academic stature.
This designation followed a two-year accreditation procedure that began with IMD conducting a thorough internal self-assessment, a process which led us to re-examine and further strengthen all the ways through which we achieve, assure, and continuously improve quality.
The reviewers assessed IMD as fulfilling all 18 accreditation standards in the Swiss Higher Education Accreditation Ordinance. Based upon the reviewers’ assessment, accreditation was granted without conditions by the SAC, which is an exceptional achievement.
“IMD has a quality assurance system that covers all areas and processes of the higher education institution.”
The reviewers praised IMD’s agility, participatory quality culture, investment in human resources and infrastructure, development of the E4S Master in Sustainable Management and Technology in partnership with UNIL and EPFL, responsiveness to students and participants, and faculty support.
Going forward, the accreditation may expedite visa, residency, scholarship, and loan situations for MBA and EMBA participants in certain countries.
“We appreciate this official inclusion in the Swiss higher education landscape and look forward to the opportunities it creates. This great success celebrates our excellence of today, and we will have to nurture this excellence in months and years to come.”
Jean-François Manzoni, IMD President
Our accreditations signal quality
IMD maintained the prestigious “triple crown” accreditations from AACSB, EFMD EQUIS, and AMBA in 2022. The institution has been triple-accredited for 18 years – an accomplishment achieved by only a few other business schools.
In March, the five-year AMBA accreditation was successfully renewed. The AMBA reviewers praised IMD’s “exceptional links with the corporate world.”
The triple crown is the gold standard of quality in business education and validates our capabilities to deliver up to the highest international business education standards.
IMD earned a gold medal from sustainability rating leader EcoVadis in November based on a review of our sustainability-related policies, actions, and results. This puts us in the top 5% of all education-related enterprises rated by EcoVadis.
In September, IMD earned ISO 27701 Privacy Information Management System certification from PECB MS. The certification maps to GDPR requirements and joins a previously earned certification for ISO 27001 Information Security Management. The two ISO certifications affirm our trusted partner status as meeting the information security and privacy expectations of participants, employees, partners, and regulators.
In September, IMD was honored to be named one of the inaugural VAUD+ label awardees. The label was awarded to IMD for our contributions to the attractiveness and competitiveness of the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland
In addition to the triple crown accreditations, IMD maintained the EFMD Business School Impact System (BSIS) label in 2022. The label is awarded to business schools at the forefront of measuring local impact.
As IMD’s tagline Real Learning, Real Impact positions us to lead in the movement to measure and maximize the positive impact of business schools, President Manzoni and two IMD colleagues contributed a chapter to the book BSIS: A Decade of Impact.
Our Quality Assurance Strategy
Our top rankings
IMD’s commitment to excellence is reflected in sustained top rankings from the Financial Times and other influential business publications.
Across multiple rankings, IMD routinely ranks as among the best in international faculty and the international diversity of participants. Our top places in the Financial Times open and custom program rankings are driven by high sub-scores in the categories assessing faculty quality, teaching materials and methods, and aims achieved.
Here are some selected results:
Executive Education Rankings
MBA rankings
EMBA rankings