AUC Business Executive Education Ranked Among Top Globally For the Second Year

June 22, 2014, Cairo – For the second consecutive year, the School of Business’s executive education program at the American University in Cairo (AUC) has been recognized in the 2014 Financial Times (FT) global ranking of executive education open enrollment programs. AUC’s School of Business is the only school in the Middle East and North Africa region to be recognized in this ranking. It is ranked at number 68 going up from last year’s ranking at number 70. “Out of the thousands of universities and entities in the world that offer executive education, we are delighted to be ranked by the Financial Times at number 68. We stand out globally because despite the political and economic challenges in Egypt, we continue to grow,” said Kevin B. O'Connell, associate dean for executive and continuing education and professor of practice, Willard Brown chair of International Business Leadership at AUC School of Business. The FT executive education rankings, now in their 16th year, rate the top providers worldwide of both open and customized programs in 2014. FT ranks academic institutions that offer open enrollment executive education programs by collecting data from the course providers as well as program participants and corporate clients. The criteria incorporate course design, teaching methods and materials, faculty, new skills and learning, aims achieved, and facilities. FT scrutinizes universities and institutes to discern quality and impact. In order to be listed, schools must meet rigorous criteria, including being internationally accredited and having earned more than $2 million in 2013 from open enrollment programs. During the past year, open programs at AUC grew by 10 percent with a stellar faculty that is equal to the best internationally. The Advanced Management Program (AMP) has also been modified to put additional emphasis on "managing uncertainty," which in today's Egypt is increasingly relevant to the participants.  “In the area of open programs, we intend to increase the international components or our offerings, whether participants, faculty, or locations,” said O’Connell, adding that they are also trying to increase the diversity of both AUC faculty and participants, in particular having more women involved. Furthermore, O’Connell explained that they are trying to increase AUC’s partnerships with other globally ranking institutions with complementary strengths.     FT ranked the Strategic Management course for the open enrollment mainstream level, and the five-day advanced management program Managing Uncertainty for top management. The programs are offered by AUC School of Business executive education units, the Management Center and the International Executive Education Institute (IEEI) respectively. AUC School of Business Executive Education programs includes two units, the oldest of the two is the Management Center, which was created in 1977, and offers broad-based executive education.  It is based in AUC Tahrir Square campus and offers a range of over 350 programs, from short customized courses to post-graduate diplomas. The IEEI,  is smaller and more focused, offering senior management of Egyptian companies both custom designed and open enrollment programs, often using distinguished faculty from foreign universities.