17 February 2021
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
University College Cork’s Executive MBA programme has become one of only 277 MBA programmes to be accredited by the Association of MBA.
One of Ireland’s largest business schools has received a prestigious accreditation from a world-leading authority, and praise for its ambitious plans for its multimillion-euro development in the heart of Cork City centre.
University College Cork’s Executive MBA programme has become one of only 277 MBA programmes worldwide to be accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), a globally-recognised authority on post-graduate business education.
Administered by faculty from Cork University Business School, UCC’s Executive MBA programme secured international accreditation after it met AMBA’s exacting standards by reflecting changing trends and fostering innovation in post-graduate management education.
AMBA were particularly impressed by the Business School’s ambition, which is embodied in plans to construct a 20,000 square meter building in the heart of Cork city that have received backing from the State to the order of €25 million in the form of a capital grant.
The plans, along with the already complete UCC Centre for Executive Education on Lapps Quay, were singled out by AMBA’s accreditation panel, who also cited UCC’s strong brand and reputation, and the UCC MBA Charitable Trust which engages alumni, students by providing business/professional services or support.
In recent years, the dynamic skills imparted by UCC’s Executive MBA programme have allowed some of Ireland’s emerging business and organisational leaders to confront the unexpected commercial and structural challenges that they have faced.
Aideen O’Driscoll, Director of Human Resources at Ardmore Shipping, a UCC’s Executive MBA programme graduand, and was the recipient of the CUBS 30% Club UCC Executive MBA Scholarship, designed to help promote women take on leadership roles within companies and organisation. Ms O’Driscoll has spoken of how her MBA prepared her for the challenges Covid-19 has posed for her sector.
Aideen O’Driscoll (UCC MBA 2020), Director of Human Resources at Ardmore Shipping, overcame some very real and immediate challenges faced by international shipping during a global pandemic. She said “Ardmore Shipping is staffed by international teams and our ships dock in ports all over the world. The pandemic created significant difficulties for us as we worked to respond to a variety of different local regulatory regimes and continually evolving rules and restrictions, while also ensuring that our employees felt supported. It seemed as though every solution came with its own set of problems, but overcoming challenges is what the MBA is about, so I felt prepared.” Photo: Rory O’Toole
Under the leadership of Professor Thia Hennessy, Dean of CUBS, the Business School has internationalised its study body and faculty by quadrupling the number of international students enrolled in its programmes in the last three years.
This growth has added to the Business School’s renowned reputation as an international centre for teaching, learning and research.
“We are delighted that AMBA have accredited our Executive MBA programme, it is an endorsement of the quality of both my colleagues’ teaching on the programme and of the students participating on it,” she said.
“This is truly a milestone achievement for Cork University Business School as we enter the upper echelon of business schools worldwide,” Prof Hennessy said.
With AMBA accreditation secure, all current MBA students and MBA alumni of Cork University Business School are invited to join AMBA’s global member community of more than 55,000 students and alumni in more than 150 countries on a free basis for networking, thought leadership, and career development.
As the business school embarks on a new year, news of AMBA’s accreditation of CUBS will be warmly received across the UCC’s historic campus as the University charts a course beyond the pandemic.
