On August 28–29, a two-day AACSB-focused workshop on strategic planning and Assurance of Learning (AoL) was held at the Education Development Center of China University of Petroleum (East China). Dr. Geoff Perry, AACSB Executive Vice President, Chief Membership Officer, and Asia Pacific Executive Director, along with Mr. Guodong Xu, East Asia Head of AACSB, and Mr. Jiang Yue from AACSB’s staff team, were invited to deliver the customized seminar. Professor Zhou Peng, Vice President of UPC, attended the workshop. All leadership team members, faculty, administrative staff, and accreditation personnel of the School of Economics and Management (SEM) participated in the event.
Group photo of Professor Zhou Peng with Dr. Geoff Perry and AACSB team
Professor Zhou Peng held a meeting with Dr. Geoff Perry to introduce the university’s core mission and distinctive characteristics. He also offered strategic advice on optimizing SEM’s strategic planning, aligning it more closely with AACSB accreditation principles.
Dr. Perry delivered a keynote presentation on strategic planning aligned with AACSB’s accreditation standards and philosophy. He elaborated on key dimensions of strategic formulation, measurement, monitoring, and risk analysis. Through vivid case studies, he clarified essential components of a strategic plan, their interrelationships, and the iterative nature of strategic development, emphasizing the importance of resource constraints, planning horizon, and priority setting.
Professor Jian Ling, Associate Dean of SEM, presented an overview of the School’s strategic framework. Anchored in the School’s revised strategic plan, he detailed SEM’s progress and direction in talent cultivation, faculty development, research, and internationalization.
Associate Deans Liu Bingquan and Xu Xiaofeng delivered thematic reports on SEM’s Assurance of Learning (AoL) system, using the undergraduate Accounting program and the part-time MBA program as pilot examples. They outlined the AoL structure aligned with continuous improvement and mission-driven learning outcomes.
During the AoL session, Dr. Perry provided a comprehensive lecture on the establishment and operation of the AoL assurance system. Topics included the standards and procedures for AoL, formulation of learning goals, curriculum alignment, curriculum maps and syllabi, assessment tools and data collection methods, assessment plans, reporting of results, and continuous improvement mechanisms. He also offered detailed analysis of exemplary AoL systems from AACSB-accredited schools, reinforcing the mission-driven + outcomes-oriented approach to learning goal design.
At the conclusion of the workshop, Secretary Wang Jun delivered closing remarks and presented Dr. Perry with a customized UPC cultural gift. He emphasized that AACSB accreditation is one of SEM’s top priorities, requiring the full commitment of faculty and staff to advance all aspects of the process.
SEM faculty representatives with Dr. Geoff Perry
Through two days of intensive learning and dialogue, participants gained deeper understanding of SEM’s mission, vision, and values, and developed a clearer grasp of strategic planning and AoL system development. The workshop significantly strengthened the School’s alignment with AACSB accreditation standards and laid a solid foundation for future accreditation-related efforts.
AACSB is recognized as the world’s most prestigious accreditation body for business schools. Achieving AACSB accreditation is vital to enhancing SEM’s international profile and academic influence. Following the approval of SEM’s Eligibility Application (EA) in November 2023, the School officially entered the AACSB accreditation pathway. Moving forward, SEM will continue to advance its strategic goals, elevate academic quality, and enhance global competitiveness.
