The Global Business School Network welcomes two new member schools: The Ghana Institute of Management and Public and Administration (GIMPA) in Ghana and the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Kyrgyzstan taking the network to 73 schools in 36 countries. These two schools become the first GBSN members from Ghana and Kyrgyzstan.
GBSN looks forward to engage GIMPA and American University of Central Asia to help further each school’s international goals through different forms of collaboration within the network.
GIMPA started off as a joint Ghana/Government/United Nations Special Fund Project in 1961, but since then has grown and transformed into a successful public tertiary institution. Today the school offers a variety of degrees and certifications such as the BA, MBA, EMBA and PhD with majors ranging from Accounting/Finance to International Business to IT/Technology Management.
GIMPA aims to pursue excellence in the provision of high quality management education for a diverse student body through innovative programs, outstanding faculty, superior facilities and efficient internal management systems. The school is credited with providing leadership and management training within the African sub region and beyond. GIMPA joins the network with an interest in student and teaching exchange partnerships in international education with other GBSN member schools. GIMPA hopes to engage fellow member school faculty as mentors for its doctoral students and younger faculty. Currently, GIMPA has one established partnership with a GBSN member, IESE Business School, in the form of an International Faculty Development Programme for its new faculty. The school also recently hosted the GBSN/EFMD Joint Conference in Africa last November 4 – 6, 2016.
“We believe that GBSN membership will not only bring us worldwide visibility and international exposure, but will also provide a sustained platform for collaborative cross-border networking with members institutions.”Professor Samuel K. Bosu, Dean, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
The American University of Central Asia School of Economics and Business Administration (AUCA) is a private institution with a strong academic focus on innovation and social entrepreneurship. This includes partnerships for capacity building with government, private and international organizations and companies within Kyrgyzstan. The school offers a B.A., MBA B.A./MSc. in Economics with a variety of majors ranging from Accounting and Finance; Supply Chain Management; to Leadership and Ethics; CSR / Sustainability / Green Economy, to name a few. AUCA will also be offering a MSc. in Finance beginning fall of 2017. AUCA is an AACSB candidate school, advanced AMBA candidate for accreditation and in the final stages of CEEMAN IQA accreditation.
AUCA demonstrates excellence in its region in a variety of initiatives. The school offers a large number of scholarships and has received numerous grants to provide education to those underrepresented in higher education. For example, AUCA has a very high percentage of international students (over 20%), largely from Afghanistan, with the majority of whom are female. The school is actively working to expand this to its graduate programs and to strengthen entrepreneurship and leadership training for women and others in the region. AUCA also works closely with the UNHCR to provide counseling and support services to refugees for their businesses in Kyrgyzstan. The World Bank IFC recently provided the school with a grant for its students to conduct research and provide financial counseling services to remote communities across Kyrgyzstan.
AUCA joins the network aiming to expand and increase the reach of many initiatives the school is already carrying out, and is eager to contribute
its experiences and expertise with the network. Given that no other university in the region is a GBSN member or involved in capacity building and social initiatives to the extent of AUCA, this allows AUCA to serve as a leader for this purpose across Central Asia.
“As a program with a strong commitment to providing access to high-quality education and training to students around Central Asia Ð including disadvantaged groups commonly denied access Ð we are eager to use and assist the GBSN network with serving the needs of these groups in Central Asia.”Gregory J. Dunn, Dean, School of Economics and Business Administration, American University of Central Asia