EDAF Online Peer Advisory Visit

The Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economy (FASE) at Tishk International University was monitored by the EDAF team in preparation for the EFMD Program Accreditation. The mentoring system EFMD GN Deans Across Frontiers (EDAF) is designed to assist business schools in their development.

The journey started two years ago when FASE became a member of the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development), an international, non-profit organisation of business schools and corporations with nearly 900 member organisations in 86 countries. TIU FASE is the only EFMD member in Iraq. This membership was followed by preparing a self-evaluation report under the supervisor of EDAF Mentor, Dr. Boris Blumberg, who is MBA Captain and acting Executive Director UMIO at the Maastricht University – School of Business and Economics – Netherland. The report addressed many significant aspects of the educational system, including the environmental context, management and resources, the programs at FASE, student support, staff support, strategic development, and others. Further supplementary material was also prepared and submitted to the Peer Advisory Team (PAT) and a Virtual Base-room for records inspection.

The documentation preparation was followed by the Peer Advisory Visit (online), which aimed at assessing the accuracy of the self-study, evaluating the effectiveness of the faculty’s programs, and sharing recommendations to assist FASE in continued improvement. The virtual visit took place on November 14th – 17th, 2022. The advisors had a professional and distinguished performance, presenting excellent knowledge and expertise during the visit. The Peer Advisory Team PAT consisted of Dr. Alain Ouvrieu, Director for International Relations at Pôle Universitaire Léonard de Vinci – France, Dr. Qiusheng Zhang, a Professor and Former Dean at Beijing Jiaotong University – School of Economics and Management- China, and Dr. Boris Blumberg.

During the visit, 16 meetings were held, in which the team interviewed the faculty dean, vice-dean, head of departments, teaching and research staff, students and alums, market partners, the university’s quality assurance team, financial affairs staff, directors of the supporting units, and representatives of the TIU Presidency.

TIU, and particularly FASE, looks forward to implementing the advisor’s suggestions and taking the necessary actions to address the weak points they addressed. We are confident this will improve and streamline the quality of education and research in the Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics Department at Tishk International University.