- 7/21/2026
From June 28 to July 1, 2026, the NIBES 30th Anniversary Meeting was held at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).
NIBES (Network of International Business and Economics Schools) is an international academic and education network comprising of universities from 20 countries around the world that offer undergraduate and graduate programs in economics and business. Hiroshima University of Economics is the only member institution in Japan. Professor G. R. Harada, Director of the Center for International Education Exchange, attended the meeting on behalf of the university.
On the morning of the first day of the NIBES General Meeting, two keynote speeches and an awards ceremony were held to commemorate the 30th anniversary. NIBES was founded in 1996, and only two of the original participants remain today. Those two individuals—Professor George Harada (Hiroshima University of Economics, NIBES Board Member) and Professor Søren Askagaard (University of Southern Denmark, NIBES Board Member)—delivered keynote speeches on the organization’s “History and Ethos,” respectively.
Thereafter, three previous Secretary-Generals—Soren Askagaard (Southern Denmark University), Thomas Cleff (Pforzheim University), and Vesna Zabkar (University of Ljubljana) were awarded for their distinguished services and contributions to the NIBES organization.
In the afternoon, the annual NIBES World Café group discussion was held. The theme this year was “AI and Business Schools.” The faculty group focused their discussion on “AI and Research,” while the group of international exchange administrators discussed “how to effectively utilize AI as a tool in their work.”
On the morning of the second day of the General Meeting, the host university presented a case study on the application and approval process for AACSB (business school) accreditation. He explained the difficult decision that the university was forced to make regarding its existing Faculty of Marketing and Management in order to qualify for AACSB international accreditation. The faculty had to revise its groundbreaking interdisciplinary curriculum in management that included required courses in social sciences and anthropology. In short, the presentation highlighted an intriguing decision related to international rankings and the university’s survival strategy, in which international accreditation was prioritized over an excellent, unique interdisciplinary program.
In the afternoon, it was reported that Örebro University in Sweden would be terminated for missing two consecutive General Meetings, and that recommendations would be issued to the Aberdeen Business School in Scotland and FGV EBAPE in Brazil stating that they would be considered for termination if they failed to attend the next General Meeting in Morocco.
CUNEF University in Spain was recommended as a new member by the German and Belgian representatives. The Director of International Relations gave a presentation on CUNEF University and expressed high hopes for international educational exchanges with NIBES member institutions. Subsequently, the General Meeting unanimously approved its admission as a member.
On the third day, a one-day social and cultural session held. The session provided members with information on Hans Christian Andersen’s literary background, the Danish “hygge culture” and a short trip to the Langeland Museum which provided for the members to reflect on war and peace.
The 2027 NIBES Annual General Meeting will be held in Morocco and hosted by ESCA Business School.