[USA, Singapore, 8 April 2014 (Tuesday)] – The International Conference and Annual Meeting (ICAM) is the globally-respected accreditation body, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business’ (AACSB) largest and most anticipated event of the year for business schools around the world.  For the first time in ICAM’s history, Singapore will be hosting this gathering of academia and professionals from top business schools worldwide.  ICAM 2014 will take place from 7 to 9 April 2014, with the Singapore Management University (SMU) being the Secretariat for the Conference.  SMU is also one of the co-hosts of the event, the others being ETS, Emerald, GMAC and KPMG.

Since the unanimous approval of the 2013 Accreditation Standards at ICAM 2013, the three pillars of innovation, engagement and impact have been a consistent theme throughout AACSB's programming.  "The 2013 Accreditation Standards are more flexible, rather than prescriptive, and encourage business schools to leverage their unique attributes to drive innovation" said Bob Reid, Executive Vice President and Chief Accreditation Officer, "and we're excited for the opportunity to learn just how the AACSB-accredited schools are embracing this new direction."

"ICAM is the premier event for business education leaders to collaborate and share the best practices on a global scale, and exchange the innovative ideas that are all around us" said John J. Fernandes, President and CEO of AACSB.  "Since opening AACSB's Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore in 2009, we've experienced an 83 percent growth rate in members from the region. Bringing ICAM to Singapore was the perfect opportunity to engage with the academic leaders demonstrating significant progress in advancing business education."

Professor Howard Thomas, Dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, said, “The Lee Kong Chian School of Business is delighted to be a co-host of the conference.  It is an important conference for anyone who wants to understand how the landscape is changing in the business school world, and to connect with and to learn from peers.  It is an honour, therefore, that we have been given the opportunity to play a role in this event.”

Professor Thomas will speak today, 8 April, on ‘Business School Futures and Business Model Innovation.’  His talk is based on material from his books ‘The Business School in the 21st Century’ (Cambridge, 2013) and ‘Securing the Future of Management Education: Competitive Destructive or Constructive Innovation?’ (Emerald, 2014).  In his books he argued that the transformation of business and management schools is critical, and that market consolidation and a thinning of the ranks of business schools are inevitable.

This year’s Conference is attended by over 1000 academia and professionals representing business schools from over 50 countries in Asia, Europe, Oceania and the United States.

More information on ICAM 2014 is available here: www.aacsb.edu/ICAM2014

About AACSB International

AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), founded in 1916, is an association of more than 1,400 educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations in 88 countries and territories. AACSB's mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at locations throughout the world. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA and its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore. For more information, please visit: www.aacsb.edu.

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Media contacts

AACSB International
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SMU
Huang Peiling
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Tel: +65 68280964 / Mobile: +65 98453361
Email: plhuang [at] smu.edu.sg