International University of Monaco's MBA Program Ranks Among the Top 100 in the World

Business Wire, Dec 16, 2003

Business Editors/Education Writers

MONACO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 16, 2003

This year, for the first time, the International University of Monaco (IUM) has earned its place on a prestigious comparative ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit of the 100 best full-time MBA programs offered by business schools around the world. The school's new standing results from improved management, infrastructure and IT facilities, a young and business savvy faculty, and innovative programs.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the IUM has undergone fundamental and interesting changes in the last year and credits the improvement to a new management and faculty team under Maxime Crener, president and dean, which effectively took over in 2002.

"IUM is proud to have achieved a place on this prestigious list of top programs in such a short period," said Dr. William Lightfoot, director, MBA Program and Graduate Programs at IUM. "We are pleased to have confirmation by an independent body and aim to continue to deliver a high quality business education as valued by our students, their employers, and the outside community."

Evaluations, delivery methodology, sequence of courses, even the content and nature of courses are all reviewed on a continuous cycle to ensure that the education delivered is current and relevant to IUM students and the business world. Other programs offered by the school are: a Global MBA with Fairleigh Dickinson University; and an Executive MBA.

The University of Southern Europe re-named itself the International University of Monaco (IUM) in 2002. The name change was designed to more fully reflect the University's identity and goals, particularly the international make-up of IUM's students. There are currently 48 different nationalities represented within the university's undergraduate body and 23 within its 10-month MBA program.

The university, which was set up in the glamorous principality in 1986, has also identified a new set of goals, including a desire to be more aggressive in reaching out to the local community. It will do this by introducing outreach programs, seminars, workshops and colloquia.

Alongside the name change have come new members of faculty, including a new associate dean, Dr. Sandrine Ricard. It has also implemented more rigorous student selection procedures.

About the Ranking

Through its annual publication Which MBA?, the Economist Intelligence Unit has been surveying the views of MBA students for 15 years, and provides a ranking based on the key factors students themselves highlight when they choose a business school. This emphasis makes the Economist Intelligence Unit's assessment the most student-centric of the major rankings. In addition to data supplied by the schools themselves, over 23,000 MBA students and alumni were surveyed to give qualitative assessments of MBA programs.

For more information about the International University of Monaco, please visit www.monaco.edu or call ( 377) 97 98 69 86. For information about the Principality of Monaco, please contact the Monaco Government Tourist Office at: (800) 753-9696 or (212) 286-3330, email info@visitmonaco.com, send a fax to (212) 286-9890, or visit www.visitmonaco.com. The website also includes details on events, itinerary suggestions, downloadable photos, a media gallery and e-postcards.