Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) has secured five-year re-accreditation in October 2026 from the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), one of the world's leading accreditation systems for business schools. The renewal recognizes CKGSB's continued commitment to academic excellence, research, international engagement, and strong connections with the business community.
Established in 1997 by European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD Global), EQUIS is among the most respected international benchmarks for business education. As of June 2026, 243 institutions across 48 countries had earned the accreditation, reflecting its international reach and demanding assessment standards.
Unlike accreditations focused on individual programs, EQUIS evaluates the quality of a business school as a whole. Its comprehensive review examines institutional strategy, governance, academic programs, faculty, research, and student development, with particular emphasis on internationalization, connections with practice, and ethics, responsibility, and sustainability.
The EQUIS peer review team commended CKGSB's performance across nearly all assessment criteria, with several areas—including institutional autonomy, core faculty, student quality, practice-oriented research, and campus facilities—rated "Above Standard," indicating performance that could serve as a benchmark for best practice. The team particularly recognized CKGSB's internationally experienced faculty, influential and engaged alumni network, and commitment to social responsibility. The school's AI development strategy also received strong praise.
CKGSB's international development reflects its mission to connect China and the world through research, education, and cross-border collaboration. The school has built partnerships with leading academic institutions worldwide, developing programs that bring together global perspectives, emerging technologies, and practical business insights.
Since 2004, CKGSB has collaborated with more than 40 leading academic institutions worldwide to offer international learning programs, enabling over 6,000 Chinese entrepreneurs to engage with global management thinking and business practices.
Among these initiatives are executive education collaborations with Columbia University, Stanford University's School of Engineering, and the University of California, Berkeley's College of Engineering. Through its Global Unicorn Programs, CKGSB works with these institutions to equip entrepreneurs, investors, and senior executives with insights into artificial intelligence, digital transformation, emerging technologies, and strategies for scaling businesses internationally.
Beyond academic partnerships, CKGSB brings international business leaders closer to China's innovation ecosystem. Its English-language executive education programs have served more than 4,500 executives from around the world, offering firsthand exposure to China's evolving business models, technological advances, and entrepreneurial landscape. One example is CKGSB's Asia Start program that combines faculty-led learning with visits to leading Chinese technology companies, helping international executives, entrepreneurs, and investors explore AI-driven business transformation and opportunities for cross-border collaboration.
As part of the latest re-accreditation process, the EQUIS peer review team conducted a three-day onsite visit to CKGSB's new permanent campus in Beijing in June 2026, meeting with school leadership, students, alumni, external stakeholders, and corporate partners. The team rated the campus's facilities, design, and teaching equipment above standard, recognizing its capacity to support both current educational needs and the school's future development.
Opened in June 2026, the campus is located in Beijing's Ciqikou, a name that can be interpreted as "China's Gateway," reflecting CKGSB's role in connecting China with the world. This commitment was demonstrated at the school's 10th Economic Symposium, held at the new campus on June 17, which convened ambassadors and ministers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Finland, alongside senior leaders from Chinese and multinational companies including Merck, Siemens, and Shell, to discuss China's evolving economic relationships with ASEAN and Europe.
Together with its international partnerships and executive education programs, such initiatives reinforce CKGSB's role as a gateway between China and the global business community, advancing international dialogue, knowledge exchange, and cross-border collaboration in line with EQUIS accreditation priorities.
CKGSB places social innovation at the heart of its mission to cultivate business leaders with a global vision, social responsibility, empathy and compassion. Since its founding in 2002, the school has encouraged leaders to use their companies’ capabilities to address social and environmental challenges while creating sustainable business value. Its approach connects social value creation with core business strategy, translating education and research into practical action through partnerships with businesses and nonprofit organizations.
CKGSB puts this philosophy into practice through its Social Innovation and Business for Good course, which requires students of degree programs like EMBA to design, implement and assess solutions to challenges linked to their companies’ core businesses. From 2021 to 2025, the course incubated more than 2,900 environmental, social and governance (ESG) projects, including initiatives in sustainable supply chains, inclusive employment and workplace wellbeing.
Beyond degree programs, CKGSB’s Rural Revitalization Program has supported more than 150 rural entrepreneurs from 20 provinces. The school also offers a Carbon Neutrality Program that helps entrepreneurs and senior executives develop strategies for energy transition and sustainable business development.
The latest renewal marks another milestone in CKGSB's international accreditation journey. The school first achieved EQUIS accreditation in 2015 and received a five-year renewal in 2021. CKGSB also earned accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in 2021, further reinforcing its standing within the international business education community.
EQUIS re-accreditation requires schools to undergo periodic independent evaluation and demonstrate continuous improvement in educational quality and institutional performance. For students, alumni, employers, and academic partners, it provides assurance that a school continues to meet internationally recognized standards while responding to the changing needs of business and society.
