ABEST21 e-News
No.124, October-December 2023
ABEST21 International
THE ALLIANCE ON BUSINESS EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIP FOR TOMORROW,
a 21st century organization

URL: www.abest21.org TEL.+81-3-3498-6220 E-Mail: abest21international@abest21.org
Editor: Fumio ITOH

e-News No.124: Contents＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝I.

ABEST21 General Information･････････････････････････････････････････････ 1

II. “Assessing Today for Tomorrow″････････････････････････････････････････････ 2
III. ABEST21 Global Knowledge Network･･･････････････････････････････････････ 4
IV. 2023 Retrospect･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 6
V. ABEST21 history･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 9

I. ABEST21 General Information＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

1. ABEST21 Office ReportOctober・02nd : Conducting online Interview with IPB University, Indonesia
・03rd : Conducting online Interview with Kyoto University, Japan・11th-12th : Conducting online Peer Review Visit with Universitas Pendidikan Nasional, Indonesia
・16th : Conducting online Interview with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia
・17th-18th : Conducting online Peer Review Visit with Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
・19th : Conducting online Interview with LFIF, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
・23rd : Conducting online Interview with Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
・25th : Conducting online Interview with FBEA Univesiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
・26th : Conducting online Interview with Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
November・28th : Holding the ABEST21 International Peer Review Committee 2023
・29th : Holding the ABEST21 International Peer Review Committee 2023
December・05th : Meeting with Executive Vice President of AACSB International
・18th : Meeting with Japan International Corporation Agency, Japan・20th : Conducting online Accreditation Seminar for 2024 (Re-accreditation)
・21st : Conducting online Accreditation Seminar for 2024 (Initial Accreditation)
12. New Deans
Dean Associate Professors Dr. Fathyah Hashim
Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains MalaysiaFathyah Hashim became the fourth dean of Graduate School ofBusiness (GSB), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) on 1 February 2023. She
has served as Deputy Dean Academic, Career and International at theSchool and Program Manager Doctor of Administration (DBA) as well as
for Quality and Accreditation. She has been teaching Accounting forManagers, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Enterprise, andSeminar in Financial Decision Making to MBA and DBA students at GSB.
Fathyah’s research specialization have been in the areas of voluntary
reporting and corporate governance and more recently, corporate social
responsibility reporting and ESG performance. She has published injournals such as Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental
Management, Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance, Social
Responsibility Journal, Malaysian Accounting Review, and International Journal of Management
Studies. She also engaged in economic impact study projects with local and multinational companies
in 2013, 2015 and 2020. She has served as one of the peer review team members of an international
accreditation body, The Alliance on Business Education and Scholarship for Tomorrow (ABEST21), toreview Management programs at several international business schools in Malaysia, Indonesia,Singapore and Japan since 2012. She has also been appointed as an Accreditation Advisor toABEST21 (2019-2020). She is a member of Asian Academy of Management (2015-current) andBritish Accounting and Finance Association (2015-2019). She has served on the editorial board ofseveral journals and presented her research in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Indonesia,Australia, and South Korea. She has held the position of visiting academic at Brunel Business School,Brunel University London, United Kingdom in 2019.

II. “Assessing Today for Tomorrow”＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

1. The Online ABEST21 International Peer Review Committee 2023
The ABEST21 International Peer ReviewCommittee 2023 took place on November 28th and29th, 2023. Comprising academic experts inmanagement
educationandexperienced
professionals, the committee reviewed review
materials this year, including "Pre-Accreditation
Analysis" reports, "Quality Improvement Strategies"
reports, "Self-Check/Self-Evaluation Reports," and“KAIZEN Reports." After review all materials and listening the PRT Leader’s Presentation on their
PRT’s review, the committee discussed and voted on the PRC review results. Accepted results will
be recommended to the senior committee, the "ABEST21 International Accreditation Committee
2024," which will held on January 16, 2024.

22. The Online Accreditation Seminar for Re-accreditation 2024
Online Seminar for Re-accreditation 2024 held on
Wednesday, December 20, 2023, aimed to provide
insights into the ABEST21 International Re-accreditation
system process. The seminar featured Professor Dr. MingYu Cheng, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, anexperienced ABEST21 International Accreditation Peer
Review member. President Professor Emeritus Dr. Fumio
ITOH offered an overview of the accreditation system,
followed by Professor Ming-Yu Cheng discussing the purpose of Re-accreditation and importantconsiderations for QIS analysis. The ABEST21 International office also addressed practicalapplication details and the review schedule. The application deadline for the 2024 Accreditation isFebruary 10, 2024.

3. The Online Accreditation Seminar for Initial accreditation 2024
Online Seminar for Initial Accreditation 2024 was heldwith the objective of offering vital insights into theABEST21 International Initial Accreditation system andprocess. The seminar featured Assistant Professor Dr.
Hen Kai Wah from Tunghai University, Taiwan, who is anexperienced ABEST21 International Peer Review
member. The President Professor Emeritus Dr. Fumio
ITOH, commenced the event with an overview of theinitial accreditation system. Subsequently, Dr. Hen Kai Wah elaborated on the purpose of initialaccreditation and highlighted key considerations for PAA analysis. The ABEST21 International officealso provided practical application details and the review schedule. ABEST21 International
Accreditation aims to ensure not only the educational quality that the school is expected to provide
at the present moment, but also ensure the future enhancement of educational quality to thestakeholders of the school in response to the drastically changes in educational and research
environment. The deadline for 2024 Accreditation applications is February 10, 2024.

4. Online Accreditation Seminar for the Accreditation 2024
Online ABEST21 Accreditation Seminar for the Accreditation 2024 is scheduled as follows;
1) The SCR of AAAS seminar I: Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 14:00-15:30 (Tokyo time)2) The SCR of APAS seminar I: Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 14:00-15:30 (Tokyo time)3) The KAIZEN Seminar I: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 14:00-15:30 (Tokyo time)
Further details, please visit to ABEST21 International bulletin board below;
URL: https://www.abest21.org/

3III. ABEST21 Global Knowledge Network＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

1.

Holding the ABEST21 International Annual Meeting 2024

The ABEST21 International Annual Meeting2024 is going to be held on 18th and 19th of March,2024 at International Conference Hall at Aoyama
Gakuin University in Tokyo, Japan.
1. DateMarch 18th (Monday) – 19th (Tuesday), 2024
2. Program
Day 1: March 18th (Monday)(9:00-10:00: Registration)
10:00-18:00
Annual Meeting 2024Accreditation-granting Ceremony 2024

KAIZEN Award-granting Ceremony 2024

School Presentations by 2024 Accredited Schools, KAIZEN Award Winners,
and New School Members

Refreshment
Day 2: March 19th (Tuesday)
Study Bus Tour to Tsukuba, Ibaraki-prefecture, etc.
<Schedule>(7:45-8:00) Registration
8:00
Depart from Shinagawa Prince Hotel to Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture(by the chartered Bus).
9:30-11:00 Study tour about Smart Agricultural Technology at JICA International Center ofTsukuba

11:30
Lunch
13:30-15:15 Study Tour at JAXA Tsukuba Space Center – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency©JAXA4©JAXA16:30-17:15 Visit Tokyo Imperial Palace. (planned)

17:30-17:45 Back to Shinagawa Prince Hotel
3. Venue
International Conference Hall
12F, Souken Building (Building 14),
Aoyama Gakuin University - Aoyama Campus
Address: 4-4-25 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-8366, Japan
Tel: +81(0)3-3440-1111
Website: https://www.aoyama.ac.jp/en/outline/map_directions.html
4. Registration

https://forms.gle/ExuJxfVKYFTaTKUz8
Deadline: January 10, 2024

5. Accommodation (Recommended)
Shinagawa Prince Hotel Annex Tower
10-30 Takanawa 4-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8611 Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-3440-1111/
website: https://www.princehotels.com/shinagawa/map-direction/
6. Useful Link for travel to Tokyo
The official Tokyo Travel Guide
Visit Tokyo - The Official Travel Guide of Tokyo, GO TOKYOTokyo Muslim Travelers’ Guide
TOKYO MUSLIM Travelers’ Guide 2023-2024 – Find brochures for travel Tokyo – TOKYOBrochures (gotokyo.org)
7. Contact Information
ABEST21 International Global Knowledge Network Unit
5-4-29 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0062, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-3498-6220 / Fax: +81-(0)3-3498-6221/
E-mail: 2021abest21-pr@abest21.org

5IV. 2023 Retrospect (January to December 2023)＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝Time flies. Its speed seems to prove the growth of ABEST21 International. In the year 2023 theABEST21 International activities for quality assurance of management education disseminated in theAsian countries and gained further recognition. Here is a brief review of 2023:
January
・17th : Holding the online Accreditation Committee 2023
・20th : Holding the 42nd online meeting of ABEST21 Council for Human Resource DevelopmentFebruary
・06th : Holding the Financial Audit Meeting 2023
・06th : Holding the online Financial Audit meeting 2023
・15th : Holding the online ABEST21 Board of Trustees 2023
March・09th : Holding the ABEST21 International Annual Meeting 2023 in Kyoto, Japan・09th : Conducting the ABEST21 International Accreditation-granting Ceremony 2023, Kyoto
・09th : Conducting the ABEST21 International KAIZEN Award-granting Ceremony 2023, Kyoto

・10th : Holding the memorial session of in deep memory of Vice President Ilker Baybars, Kyoto“We announced with deep sadness that our Vice President andDeputy Dean Emeritus Professor Dr. Ilker Baybars, Carnegie Mellon
University, had passed away on December 23, 2022. So, we held
the memorial session in deep memory of Vice President Dr. Ilker
Baybars. President ITOH said that we will remember Dr. Ilker
Baybars for his hard work and dedication during the founding ofABEST21, for his collegiality, for his forward-looking thinking, andhis keen ability to engage with and collaborate with international
members of ABEST21.”
・11th : Conducting the Kyoto Study Tour, Kyoto

6・14th : Visit to the United Nations University (UNU)
・15st : Conducting the online Accreditation Seminar II on “SCR”
・16th : Conducting the online Accreditation Seminar II on “KZR”
・17th : Visit to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF)
・20th : Visit to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
・22nd : Conducting the online Accreditation Seminar II on APAS-“QIS”
・23rd : Conducting the online Accreditation Seminar II on APAS-“PAA”
・24th : Reporting on the Accreditation Results to Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology of Japan (MEXT)
th・27 : Publishing a press release on the Accreditation Results to the press club at MEXT
・29th : Holding the online Accreditation Seminar II on the AAAS-“QIS”
April
・11th : Conducting the online individual Accreditation Seminar II on APAS-“PAA”
May
・17th : Visit to Japan International Corporation Agency, Tokyo, Japan

・18th : Visit to the United Nations University, Tokyo, JapanJune
・09th : Visit to Japan International Corporation Agency , Tokyo, Japan・12th : Meeting with Malaysian Qualification Agency in Tokyo, Japan
・15th : Visit to UNU
・15th : Conducting the online Seminar for Finance and Banking Institution of the Republic ofUzbekistan
st・21 : Visit to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Tokyo, JapanJuly
・03rd : Holding online meeting with Malaysian Qualification Agency, Malaysia
・10th : Holding the 43rd online meeting of ABEST21 Council for Human Resource Development
・19th : Conducting the online ABEST21 International PRT members’ Training Seminar 2023
August・03rd : Attending to Signing Ceremony of the MoU between MQA and ABEST21 International,Putrajaya, Malaysia
7

・09th : Conducting the online ABEST21 International PRT Leaders’ Training Seminar 2023
・24th : Conducting the online Interview with Universitas Telkom, Indonesia
・28th : Conducting the online Interview with Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
・29th : Conducting the online Interview with PPM School of Management, Indonesia
・30th : Conducting the online Interview with Universitas Islam Sultan, Indonesia
September・01st : Conducting the online Interview with Naresuan University, Thailand
・06th-07th : Conducting the online Peer Review Visit with University of Tsukuba, Japan・11th : Conducting the online Interview with Universitas Udayana, Indonesia
・12th : Conducting the online Interview with Waseda University, Japan・13th-14th : Conducting the online Peer Review Visit with Hitotsubashi University, Japan
・19th : Conducting the online Interview with Univesitas Jenderal Soedirman, Indonesia
・20th-21st : Conducting the online Peer Review Visit with Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan
・15th : Conducting the online Interview with Management & Science University, Malaysia
・26th-27th : Conducting the online Peer Review Visit with Perbanas Institute, Indonesia
・29th : Conducting the online Interview with Khon Kaen University, Thailand
October・02nd : Conducting the online Interview with IPB University, Indonesia
・03rd : Conducting the online Interview with Kyoto University, Japan・11th-12th : Conducting the online Peer Review Visit with Universitas Pendidikan Nasional,Indonesia
th・16 : Conducting the online Interview with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia
・17th-18th : Conducting the online Peer Review Visit with Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
・19th : Conducting the online Interview with LFIF, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
・23rd : Conducting the online Interview with Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
・25th : Conducting the online Interview with FBEA Univesiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
・26th : Conducting the online Interview with Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
November・28th : Holding the online ABEST21 International Peer Review Committee 2023
・29th : Holding the online ABEST21 International Peer Review Committee 2023
December・05th : Meeting with Executive Vice President of AACSB International, Tokyo, Japan
・18th : Meeting with Japan International Corporation Agency, Tokyo, Japan・20th : Conducting the online Accreditation Seminar for 2024 (Re-accreditation)
・21st : Conducting the online Accreditation Seminar for 2024 (Initial Accreditation)
8

V. ABEST21 history - vol.1
Looking back at the past 18 years, the growth of ABEST21 International (formerly ABEST21) canbe attributed to its institutional approach towards international accreditation. Throughout this period,
ABEST21 has embraced the principles of 'broad-mindedness' and 'living in harmony,' recognizingand embracing the diversity of Asian values. ABEST21 is dedicated to developing a distinctive
education quality assurance system that nurtures management professionals and supports thesustainable development of Asia. In this series of articles, we will take a retrospective look at thehistory of ABEST21.

Global Classroom Conference

ABEST21 was founded in 2005, but its origins go back to 1994. The first Global Classroom
Conference was organized by Dr. Fumio Itoh on 28th October 1994. “Global Classroom InternationalConference” was a consortium of 7 business schools around the world which promoted the sharingof management education at business schools by setting up a “virtual classroom” on the Pacific
Ocean via online teleconference system using the cutting-edge information technology.
The seven participating business schools said above were as follows:・School of Management, Fudan University, China
・School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, China
・Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan・College of Business Administration, Seoul National University, Korea
・Graduate School of Business Administration, Moscow State University, Russia
・Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon University, USA・School of Business, The College of William and Mary, USA9