ABEST21 e-News
No.110, September-October 2020
ABEST21 International
THE ALLIANCE ON BUSINESS EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIP FOR TOMORROW,
a 21st century organization

TEL. +81-3-3498-6220

FAX. +81-3-3498-6221

Editor: ITOH Fumio“Due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have conducted all meetings online for avoiding
the so-called “Three Cs” -- Closed places with poor ventilation, Crowded places and conversations in
Close proximity.”

ABEST21 Office Report＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝September・1st : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Bengkulu, Indonesia
・2nd : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Islamic Indonesia, Indonesia
・3rd : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Islamic Indonesia, Indonesia
・7th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Indonesia
・8th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Indonesia
・10th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Udayana, Indonesia
・11th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Udayana, Indonesia
・14th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
・15th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
・16th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia
・17th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia
・21st : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Andalas, Indonesia
・23rd : Conducting online PRV for Universiti Tunk Abdul Rahman, Malaysia
・24th : Conducting online PRV for Universiti Tunk Abdul Rahman, Malaysia
・28th : Conducting online PRV for Institut Pertanian Bogor University, Indonesia
・29th : Conducting online PRV for Institut Pertanian Bogor University, Indonesia
・30th: Conducting online PRV for Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
October
・1st : Conducting online PRV for Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
・5th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Telkom, Indonesia
・6th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Telkom, Indonesia
・8th : Conducting online PRV for Kyoto University, Japan・9th : Conducting online PRV for Kyoto University, Japan

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・12th : Conducting online PRV for SBI Graduate School, Japan・13th : Conducting online PRV for PPM School of Management, Indonesia
・14th : Conducting online PRV for PPM School of Management, Indonesia
・16th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Surabaya, Indonesia
・27th : Conducting online PRV for Universitas Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia
・29th : Conducting online Workshop for Assuring the Quality of the Online Lectures

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

1. ABEST21 President Note-No. 44-On “the Online Peer Review Visit (PRV)”The Peer Review Visit (PRV) as part of the ABEST21 Accreditation process traditionally took placeon the campus of the applicant school visited by the Peer Review Team(PRT). However, due to the
spread of COVID-19, we were forced to conduct the PRV online. Originally, the PRV for 2020 wasplanned to start in September. We were settling the visit dates for 21 schools in Japan, Malaysia, andIndonesia. When we had to give up actual visits and shift to virtual visits because of COVID-19, it
became inevitable for us to do many tests to prepare for online visits. We started the tests in May
and went through many trials and errors. Thanks to the knowledge and experience acquired throughthese tests we were able to complete the entire online PRVs which started in September and finishedon November 5, 2020. This Note summarizes the lessons learned from the online Peer Review Visit(PRV).
To start with, ABEST21 held “online Accreditation Seminar” 9 times during May, June and July,
2020. In addition, in August we held “online PRT Training Seminar” 7 times in total. Through theseseminars we were able to understand the limitations as well as usability of online meetings. Under
the COVID-19 pandemic, it is truly due to this seminar experience as well as ABEST21 Global
Knowledge Network that we succeeded in international online PRVs that were done for 19 schools
until now.
The international online PRV developed by ABEST21 consists of 2-day 6-hour review as a model.
Apart from interviews, the review includes online visit tour of education research facilities, which
requires development of a systematic comprehensive evaluation.
As you all know, the online PRV cannot be realized merely with an ordinary online meeting system.
It is not a matter of technology, but of using this technology. First of all, the objective of the online
PRV must be clarified. If the purpose is not shared among the parties concerned, the PRV will end up
in contentless formality. Therefore, prearrangement within the Peer Review Team is essential. If you
participate in the online PRV without any preparation to discuss the issues, it will be meaningless,leading to deterioration of review quality. Online PRV is one of the elements of the Peer Review
System and needs to be related to the other elements to function properly.
The second point is “time”, “space” and “position” of conducting the online PRV. As for “time”, wehave the issue of “starting time” and “length of review”. Especially for an international online PRV,
the time differences between countries must be considered, which will affect the “length of review
time”. Particularly whereas the time difference in Asia is only an hour or 2 hours, if a member
participates from Pittsburgh, U.S.A., it will be very late at night when Tokyo time is 3 p.m. Also, the2

“length of review” is important because there is a limit in the length of human’s ability to concentrate.
Since fixing eyes on the screen for a long period of time is bionomically impossible, an appropriate
time length to maintain a good communication during the online PRV must be considered.
Moreover, the “environment” for the online PRV must be maintained. Since the school campus isclosed, PRT members and participants from the applicant school join the PRV from various places orenvironments. It is now common to use the virtual screen to hide the background so we do not know
where the participant actually is. There are cases where voices are not easily heard, or the video
transmission is unstable, which makes it difficult to keep up communication during the review. In
particular, since the review includes interviews with various stakeholders, maintaining the review
environment becomes a key issue. To avoid these problems, ABEST21 stipulated the Working Rules
for “Orderly Online PRV,” disseminated the rules to the parties concerned, and with the cooperationfrom 19 schools, we successfully completed the online PRV as planned. In fact, participants who
could not comply to these rules were asked to leave the Zoom room.
For these Working Rules to function properly, mutual understanding among ABEST21 as acoordinator of the Zoom room, the Peer Review Team, and the applicant school is a must.
Committing to these rules will form the environment for the online PRV to be practiced smoothly.
Merely using video conference system does not ensure a good online PRV.
Lastly and most importantly, the target of review for the online PRV must be clarified, and thesystem to complete the review within the limited amount of time must be structured. That is to saythat the position of the online PRV within the Peer Review System is made clear, and the Peer Review
Process is shared among all parties concerned. When these are made possible, the role of the online
PRV is understood by the applicant school and combined efficiently with the Desk Review. Under
such circumstances, review for accreditation can be realized even under the COVID-19 pandemic.
(ITOH Fumio, President)

2. “Member’s Voice for Tomorrow”-No. 4
Dean Professor Dr. Azlan Amran
Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
On behalf of the Graduate School of Business (GSB) Universiti
Sains Malaysia, I congratulate ABEST21 on its gradual rise toprominence over the years. So much has changed in the last coupleof months. It has indeed been a difficult and challenging time foreveryone. As the world comes to terms with the scale and severity of
the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of the global population isrightly taking priority over education for the time being. As Dean, I
want to express my gratitude to all of our students, faculty, staff andalumni for adjusting to the challenges of this rapidly evolving anduncertain time and for rising to the moment as members of acommunity dedicated to promoting, protecting and prolonging
health.
Formally established in November 2008, GSB’s aim is to fulfil theneeds of industry and to promote and nurture business sustainability in Malaysia, specifically in the
Northern Region. With a vision of becoming a reputable business school for a sustainable tomorrow,3we at GSB believe that businesses must generate positive economic outcomes together withpromoting the wellbeing of society and preserving the environment. To thrive in this ever-evolving
reality, where Asia is the central growth engine, the world needs business leaders with the relevant
knowledge and skills needed to drive business sustainability. At GSB we have embraced thischallenge in the way we teach, share knowledge and conduct research. Our core endeavour remains
clear – we seek to provide transformative education, to groom the next generation of leaders to
become agents of positive change, and to cultivate a strong research culture relevant to the needs ofacademia, business and society.
At GSB, our programmes are developed through close engagement with industry. Therefore, we
at GSB are committed to creating and sustaining the exceptional quality of our MBA, EMBA,
Dual-Degree MBA, Euro-Asian MBA, DBA and PhD courses, each designed with the utmost precisionand forethought. It is with pride I express that GSB has been recognized as a business school withan excellence in practice of sustainable learning and interdisciplinary teaching by ABEST21 (TheAlliance on Business Education and Scholarship for Tomorrow, a 21st Century Organization). The
school was re-accredited officially in 2019 by ABEST21 with flying colours outcome as our MBA
program received A for all sections audited and the Peer View Team visited the school as part of theprocess in 2018. All our programmes are also endorsed by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency(MQA) and the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education. These acknowledgments attest to the
exceptional quality of our MBA, DBA and PhD courses. Our global linkages extend to individuals as
well, as GSB welcomes Honorary Professors and industry champions to our classrooms to share theircolossal pool of knowledge and experience with students.
In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, research on ‘global’ issues that affectthe business world is of great importance. The quality and impact of GSB’s research is also
recognized by other universities around the world, with scholars citing our publications. Among ourfaculty members we are proud – and fortunate – to have Professors who excel in both research andteaching. Educated at renowned universities, they are committed to providing students with a
top-rate business education. Ultimately, the research conducted in GSB tries to seek innovative andcreative ways to add value to the organization and ensure business sustainability. The research
begun at GSB has the potential to shape the future of our world.
We are lucky at GSB to have such plurality and diversity of students and staff from a range ofeducation disciplines and cultural backgrounds. Each year, GSB identifies and attracts the mostpromising students to form a dynamic and diverse global community, shaping them into visionary
scholars, innovative educators, and creative leaders while encouraging them to cross disciplinary
boundaries. Graduate students are at the heart of GSB’s excellence in research and education,
studying with distinguished faculty and accessing world-renowned research centers and scholarlycollections. We at GSB are proud of this diverse community, which represents many races,
ethnicities, belief systems, nationalities and genders.
To conclude, we at GSB strive to build bridges between our students and alumni, who together
form a community. Our alumni live throughout the world and engage in a variety of careers, bothacademic and non-academic, and the experiences they share support our graduate students as they
conduct and complete their studies. With a presence in every sector and continent, our students
benefit from this vast network giving them access to information, industry mentors and job
opportunities. One of my goals as Dean is to advocate for the evolving needs of our students across4

all divisions and programs and to serve as a steward of our resources. Essential to this goal ismaintaining an inclusive community where all voices are heard and valued. We at GSB are at ourbest when we work together collaboratively and inclusively.

3. ABEST21 Member’s latest News
“Celebrating Deputy Dean Emeritus Ilker Baybars’ impressive milestone of 50
years at the Tepper School.”
Deputy Dean Emeritus Professor Dr. Ilker Baybars,
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University
has tremendously contributed to the development of
ABEST21 as the Vice President since the foundation.
His achievements in the 50 years at Carnegie Mellon
University since his entrance as a student in 1970 are
introduced in the “TEPPER TIMES”.
“Ilker Baybars, George Leland Bach Chair, Professorof Operations Management, and Dean and CEO
Emeritus of the Qatar campus of Carnegie Mellon, iscelebrating an impressive milestone of 50 years at the
Tepper School. Baybars came to Carnegie Mellon inlate 1970 as a student and joined the faculty in 1978,
eventually serving as Associate Dean in 1985, Deputy
Dean in 1992, and Acting President of the Carnegie
Bosch Institute for Applied International Studies in
1997. He was director of the Tepper School’s MBA
program from 1984 to 1997, oversaw theundergraduate Business Administration Program from1990 to 1994, and served for six years as the Dean and CEO of the Qatar campus of Carnegie
Mellon.”II. Quality Assurance-“Assessing Today for Tomorrow”“There will be no problem if the School exists in a vacuum. However, in the society where the realenvironment is changing, improving the educational and research activities is essential in order for
the School to survive as a “Going Concern.”＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

1. On amending partially the ABEST21 Accreditation Standards
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, it is inevitable for ABEST21 to consider some changes in our system
based on our experience and knowledge acquired from online PRV; partial amendment of ABEST21
Accreditation Standards, partial amendment of the accreditation process, and review of our Peer
Review System. Revision plans will be examined at this year’s Peer Review Committee and theAccreditation Committee so that they will become effective in fiscal 2021.

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2. On conducting the online Peer
Self-Check/Self-Evaluation Report”

Review

Visit

for

“the

Online PRV for SCR will take 2 days basedon the result of the Desk Review. Problems
will be solved through online interviews withvarious stakeholders. In the case of Graduate
School of Management, Kyoto University,
Japan, the online PRV was conducted on
October 8 and 9, 2020, connecting Tokyo,
Moscow (Russia), Kuala Lumpur and Bandung.
In addition to considering the time differences,
the online environment was tested with Kyoto
University on the day before the PRV. The actual review was filled with good communication to solve
the problems within a certain time limit. ABEST21 was in charge of managing the Zoom room as acoordinator.

3. On conducting the online Peer Review Visit for “the KAIZEN
Report”
As for the online PRV for KAIZEN Report, it
was conducted in a single day based on the
Desk Review done in advance. In the case of
Kaizen Report submitted by Faculty of
Economics
andBusiness,
Universitas
Surabaya, the PRV was conducted on October
16, 2020. In the same way as in PRV for SCR,
online network was tested on the day before,
and considering the time differences among
Tokyo, Pittsburgh (U.S.A.), Kuala Lumpur, andJakarta, review was practiced to check on the progress of Kaizen issues based on action plan toenhance the quality of education.

4. On granting “the KAIZEN Award” for excellent performance of the
Action Plans
In the review of Kaizen Reports in 2020, ABEST21 has decided to grant “Kaizen Award” to theaccredited schools who have implemented their Action Plans for Kaizen and made significant
improvements in their education and research activities.

6III. Quality Improvement-“Building Network for Tomorrow”“In the age of increasing globalization, it is a great challenge for the schools to create andmaintain first-class educational programs in management. But no single institution can maintain all
the required and ever-changing resources at hand nor continually keep those resources updated. It
is important for us to work together to leverage our complementary resources on a global scale.”＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

1. “ABEST21 Online Workshop for Assuring the Quality of the Online
Lectures”
Prior to the launch of the above workshop in
November, we held a special lecture meeting on
October 29 with Professor Takao Shigeta fromSBI Graduate School as the speaker. Since SBI
Graduate School is a Japanese Business School
featuring education system mainly based on
E-Learning, we asked Professor Shigeta toprovide a lecture on how to assure the quality of
E-Learning education. “Assurance of online
education quality” is an urgent issue for schools
obliged to introduce online education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Workshop will be held
monthly on the third Thursday of the month. Up to August 2021, cases for 2 schools will be studied
at each workshop. In the future these studies will be put together as a research paper. At the special
lecture meeting, President Itoh of ABEST21 explained the aim and method of the workshop based on
the following slide materials on “The ABEST21 Online Workshop for Assuring the Quality of theOnline Lectures”.

2. New Challenges and Opportunities
As we all know, teaching at universities is greatly
affected by the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Universities need to keep their promises to thestudents and the society, by realizing their “Mission
Statement” as an input of their educational system,
and assuring the achievement of the “Learning
Outcomes” as an output. In the educational
programs, learning goals as shown in the syllabi
are the promises of what should be achieved after
completing a specific course. Therefore, under thechange of environment caused by COVID-19,
schools are required to rebuild a system to ensure
the “assurance of educational quality”, i.e. reconsider how they will realize the “Mission Statement”,
assure the “Learning Outcomes” to the society and facilitate students’ achievement of the “Learning

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goals” set in the syllabi. So, it is a good opportunity for us to consider restructuring of the learning
system.

3. Online Workshop Schedule
The online meeting will be held at 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time) on the third Thursday of each month. Twocases are to be presented in each meeting.
I. Thursday, November 26th, 2020, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Associate Prof. Dr. Danaipong Chetchotsak (Khon Kaen University, Thailand)
Speakers:
・Asociate Prof. Dr. Yudi Fernando (Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia)
・Senior Lecturer Dr. Gancar C. Premananto (Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia)

II. Thursday, December 17th, 2020, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Senior Lecturer Dr. Gancar C. Premananto (Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia)
Speakers:
・Senior Lecturer Dr. Werner R. Murhadi (Universitas Surabaya, Indonesia)
・Assistant Prof. Dr. Hen Kai Wah (Universiti Tunk Abdul Rahman, Malaysia)
III. Thursday, January 21st, 2021
Chair: Associate Prof. Dr. Danaipong Chetchotsak (Khon Kaen University, Thailand)
Speakers:
・Manager Ersa Tri Wahyuni, Ph.D. (Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia)
・Associate Prof. Dr. Veena Jadhav (SP Jain School of Global Management, Singapore)
・Assistant Prof. Dodie Tricahyono, Ph.D. (Universitas Telkom, Indonesia)
IV. Thursday, February 18th, 2021, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Asociate Prof. Dr. Yudi Fernando (Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia)
Speakers:
・Vice Director Yeshika Alvesia (Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia)
・Associate Prof. Dr. Danaipong Chetchotsak (Khon Kaen University, Thailand)
V. Thursday, March 18th, 2021, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Associate Prof. Dr. Veena Jadhav (SP Jain School of Global Management, Singapore)
Speakers:
・Vice Dean Dr. Abdul Ghofar (Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia)
・Director Nalinee Mohprasit, Ph.D. (Naresuan University, Thailand)
VI. Thursday, April 22nd, 2021, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Associate Prof. Dr. Salmi Mohd Isa (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia)
Speakers:
・Adjunct Associate Prof. Catharine Sibala (Hitotsubashi University, Japan)
・Senior Lecturer Dr. Jayne Bye (Western Sydney University, Australia)VII. Thursday, May 20th, 2021, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Senior Lecturer Dr. Gancar C. Premananto (Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia)
Speakers:
・Assistant Prof. Dr. Zabeda Abdul Hamid (International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia)

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・Prof. Dr. Huam Hon Tat (Putra Business School, Malaysia)
VIII. Thursday, June 17th, 2021, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Associate Prof. Dr. Veena Jadhav (SP Jain School of Global Management, Singapore)・Program Manager Dr. Rosly Othman (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia)
・Prof. Dr. IWAI Chiaki (Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan)
IX. Thursday, July 15th, 2021, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Associate Prof. Dr. Salmi Mohd Isa (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia)
・Prof. Dr. ISAGAWA Nobuyuki (Kyoto University, Japan)
・Lecturer Suthasinee Susiva, Ph.D. (Burapha University, Thailand)
X. Thursday, August 19th, 2021, 15:00-16:30 (Tokyo time)
Chair: Associate Prof. Dr. Idqan Fahmi (IPB University, Indonesia)
・Dr. S.M. Ferdous Azam (Management & Science University, MY)・Associate Prof. Dr. Siti Zaleha Shak (Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia)

4. Introduction of the new School Member
Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan,
Malaysia
Dean Prof. Dr. Roselina Ahmad Saufi
The Universiti Malaysia Kelantan is a public university located in
Kelantan, Malaysia. The Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business (FEB)of the university was established in 2006 and about 3,565 students havestudied there. The curriculum of the University is based on“Entrepreneurship is Our Trust” and “Entrepreneurial University” principles
that are widely used to promote the philosophy of this University. The FEB
offers entrepreneurship and business programmes that are not only
intended to provide fundamental and relevant knowledge but also to
inculcate entrepreneurial practice, skill and talent amongst students.
Roselina Ahmad Saufi, a Professor in Business and Management, has been appointed as the Dean of
the Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business (FEB), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, effective January
16, 2020.
Prof. Roselina earned her Ph.D. and Master of Business Administration in 1995 and 1991
respectively from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. She embarked on an academic careerin 1989 and was appointed as the Group Managing Director of UMS Link Holdings Sdn. Bhd. from2007 – 2012. Her journey with Universiti Malaysia Kelantan started in 2012 when she was appointed
as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International) from 2012 – 2015. She received several
international awards including Islamic Leader Fellowship Award by Asian Institute of Management(AIM), Manila in 2009, Education Leadership Award by the Golden Global Tigers in 2016, andDistinguished Women Award for Human Resource Management from the Venus International
Foundation, India in 2017. Her research and consultancy work focus on capacity building as well as
rural entrepreneurs’ development at both national and international levels. She has rendered her

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services to numerous government agencies and NGOs in Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, China,
Finland, Japan, and Malaysia.
As the new Dean, she believes that every phase of transformation has brought FEB to a greater
height. Hence, FEB aims to continue to be the key leader in programs that support theempowerment of entrepreneurship-based education. This effort is supported by the University's Top
Management, which enables FEB to compete and be at the forefront in providing academic programs
and activities that focus on entrepreneurship, business and accounting in line with the needs ofstudents, industry and community demands.

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