ABEST21 e-News
No.107, March 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“The silence this spring says it all” by Roger Cohen“This is the silent spring. The planet has gone quiet, so quiet
you can almost hear it whirling around the sun, feel its
smallness, picture for once the loneliness and fleetingness of
being alive.･･･From animal to human the virus jumps, as if todemonstrate the indivisibility of the life and death on a small
planet. The technology perfected for the rich to globalize theiradvantages has also created the perfect mechanism for
globalizing the panic that sends portfolios into free fall.”(March 30, 2020, The New York Times)“I wish you the best of health, and hope everything will be back to nomal soon.” ITOH Fumio
March・03rd : An accounting report by HORIE Licensed Tax Accountant
・03rd : Visit to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
・04th : Visit to the United Nations University, Tokyo
・10th : Accounting audit by an auditor
・12th : Visit to Japan International Cooperation Agency
・23rd : Visit to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan

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

1. Items ratified at the Board of Trustees
Due to the global spread of the COVID-19, ABEST21 Board Meeting was held via a web-based
meeting system. The following items were ratified.
1) Settlement of accounts for fiscal 20192) Draft financial budget for fiscal 2020
3) Accredited schools reviewed in 20194) ABEST21 Annual Meeting scheduled in 2021
5) International symposium scheduled in 2021
6) ”ABEST21 Global Knowledge Network Field Studies” project targeting students of the accredited
schools.
As for the draft financial budget for 2020, the budget was secured for the Joint Research Project1

“Humanizing Management Education for Sustainable Economic Development in Asia-Pacific” whichstarted in 2019. Budget was also approved for a new project “ABEST21 Global Knowledge Network
Japan Field Studies” targeting students of the accredited schools.
Settlement of accounts for fiscal 2019 was ratified at the Board Meeting held via a web-based
meeting system. ABEST21 International Cash Flow (2017-2019) for the past 3 fiscal years is asfollows.

2. Audit of Fiscal 2019 Settlement of Accounts
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the audit waspracticed in the following way. On March 10 at the
ABEST21 office, ABEST21 auditor Professor Dr. Xu
Hua (University of Tsukuba) audited the settlement ofaccounts for fiscal 2019 with explanations provided by
the Horie Certified Tax Accountant Office. The audit
results and related materials were sent to the other 2
ABEST21 auditors, Prof. Dr. Gagaring Pagalung(Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia) and Prof. Dr.
Nor’Azam Mastuki (Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Malaysia), who confirmed the results with thefollowing comments.
・Prof. Dr. Nor’Azam Mastuki: “I have reviewed the
documents presented to me, and can conclude thatthe financial statement prepared and presented isreflecting the true and fair view of the current
financial position of ABEST21 and in accordancewith the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.”・Prof. Dr. Gagaring Pagalung: “I agree at Balanceof Accounts who prepared by HORIE Sadayuki andalso agree with audited document by Auditor Prof. Dr. Hua Xu.”

3. Set up of “ABEST21 Bulletin Board”
We are in the process of disclosing to the public the accreditation results of 2020. At the same time
the ABEST21 website contents will be reviewed and renewed. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, it isimportant to provide information appropriately. To disseminate information whenever necessary, it
was decided to set up “ABEST21 Bulletin Board” in our website.

II. Quality Assurance -“Assessing Today for Tomorrow”＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

1. Note-No.41: “Analysis on Self-Check/Self-Evaluation”-2
In this age of globalization when educational and research environment is rapidly changing, theschools must continue their efforts to enhance their educational programs. Otherwise the quality ofeducational and research activities will become obsolete; curricula to meet the needs of the time will
not be provided, and human resources required to respond to the social needs will not be nurtured.
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Schools operating within the same annual educational cycle may develop resistance to change andbecome unable to modify the traditional system. For example, an instructor who teaches on thesame day and time of the week with the same syllabus every year may refuse to change the classschedule because it will disturb the rhythm of life. However, in the age of globalization the schools
need to treat change as an “Opportunity” to improve their education and research. It may also be an
opportunity for the university to switch from “how they wish to be” to “how they should be”. The key
to realize this change may lie in the analysis of “Self-Check/Self-Evaluation” by the university.
“Self-Check/Self-Evaluation” is an essential analysis for the whole educational organization thatneeds to adapt to the environmental changes, because it is an opportunity to find out the issues for“kaizen” to respond to the changes of the environment. If the analysis of“Self-Check/Self-Evaluation” is implemented systematically and periodically, the school may be able
to become closer to “how they should be”. But to realize this, the analysis of“Self-Check/Self-Evaluation” must be done appropriately.
The first important point of “Self-Check/Self-Evaluation” analysis is to understand theaccreditation standards correctly. Since “Self-Check/Self-Evaluation” is based on the accreditation
standards, the aim of the standards must be understood properly. If not, the analysis will be empty
and prosaic.
The second point is to understand the technical terms used in the accreditation standards. If thewords are not understood correctly, the analysis will be completely different. If the analysis isbased on different data, it will be impossible to understand the current status of the school.
The third point is to analyze the “Self-Check” based on “facts”. Analysis based on facts will clarify
the issues for kaizen. “Self-Check” without “facts” will result in a superficial and abstract analysis
without substance.
The fourth point is to attach the data as an evidence for the “fact”. Based on the data shown, it will
be possible to understand the current status and the “fact” objectively.
The “Self-Check” analyzed based on these points will lead to the “Self-Evaluation” to find out“what are the kaizen issues”. Analysis for “Self-Check” aims not only at quantitative judgment to see
whether the accreditation standards are satisfied, but it also aims to check “what are the necessary
kaizen issues” to survive in the future. Without the “Self-Check” analysis, there will be no“Self-Evaluation”.
In general, many schools tend to practice “Self-Check” for “Self-Evaluation”. For example, the“Self-Evaluation” of a university whose goal is merely to receive the accreditation would produce anevaluation like “satisfying the standards without any problem” to increase the ratio of items thatmeet the standards. Thus, such “Self-Check” consists of abstract analysis without substance. The
objective of the “Self-Check/Self-Evaluation” is to create a university for tomorrow, not only to pass
the current accreditation. Accreditation is a quality assurance based on the results of the University’s
reliable self-check/self-evaluation.
When a university in the changing environment conducts “Self-Check” pursuing the future “ideal
figure” and seeking to find out the issues for improvement, the “Self-Check” will become a specificanalysis based on “facts”. When the practicable measures to solve these issues are clearly shown, it
will be possible to assure the quality enhancement of the university’s educational and research
activities. In the changing environment, even if the “Present” is good, it does not mean that the“Future” is also good. The process of solving the kaizen issues analyzed in the “Self-Check” must be
also shown in the evaluation. If not, the quality assurance for the present educational and research
activities is not possible. What stakeholders expect is the quality assurance for the “future”, not the3evaluation of the past situation. Thus, “evaluation for the present” as well as “evaluation for the
future” must be included in the accreditation. This is why ABEST21 holds “Assessing Today for
Tomorrow” as a theme of accreditation review. (ITOH Fumio, President)

2. Submission Date for QIS, SCR and KAIZEN Report
Originally, the deadline for “Quality Improvement Strategies (QIS),” “Self-Check/Self-Evaluation
Report (SCR)” and “KAIZEN Report” was set for the end of June, 2020. However, due to the spreadof COVID-19, many schools in respective countries were forced to close, which made theaccreditation procedures difficult. Therefore, the submission date will be postponed by one month.
The new deadline is end of July 2020.

3. Web-based Peer Review Committee and Accreditation Committee
ABEST21 has cancelled the Peer Review Committee (PRC) and Accreditation Committee (AC)originally scheduled on March 11, 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19. Instead, the PRC and AC
meetings were held via a web-based meeting system. After the meetings, ABEST21 accreditation
results were reported to the Board of Trustees, ratified by the Board, and reported to the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan. The following schools werecertified as “Appropriate”. The accreditation quality assurance period is 5 years, from April 1, 2020 toMarch 31, 2025.
A. Professional Graduate School of Business in Japan・Master of Business Administration Program, Graduate School of Business and Finance,
Waseda University
・Master of Science in Finance Program, Graduate School of Business and Finance, Waseda
University
B. ABEST21 Program-based Accreditation System (APAS)
・Master of Management Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Diponegoro,
Indonesia
・Master of Accounting Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Diponegoro,
Indonesia
・Master of Business Administration Program, Putra Business School, Malaysia
・Master of Business Administration Program, Arshad Ayub Graduate Business School,at the Shah Alam campus, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
・Master of Business Administration Program, College of Graduate Study in Management,
Khon Kaen University, Thailand
・Master of Business Administration Program, Faculty of Business, Economics andCommunications, Naresuan University, Thailand
C. ABEST21 Academic Unit-based Accreditation System (AAAS)・Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
・Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
・Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Lampung, Indonesia
・Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia
As of March 2019, ABEST21 has conducted a total of 21 accreditations for professional graduate
schools since October 2007 when ABEST21 was certified as a field-specific accrediting institution by
MEXT, Japan. As for international accreditation, since 2011 ABEST21 has conferred a total of 43
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accreditations as follows. These account for approximately 67 % of total accreditations by ABEST21.
09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20
Total
JP
4
1
2
1
1
4
2
2
-1
3
2
23
CH
-----1
----1
-2
ID
---1
2
1
1
6
3
7
2
6
29
MY
--1
--2
4
1
1
-3
2
14
RU
-------1
----1
SP
---1
----1
---2
TH
------1
1
--1
2
5
Total
4
1
3
3
3
8
8
11
5
8
10
12
76
JP: Japan, CH: China, ID: Indonesia, MY: Malaysia, RU: Russia, SP: Singapore, TH: Thailand

4. Report of March 2020 Accreditation Results to MEXT, JapanOn March 23, 2020, the accreditation results werereported to the Higher Education Policy Planning
Division, Higher Education Bureau, Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The
results included accreditation for the following schools.
Japan: Waseda Business School, Management
Program and Finance Program.
Program-based Accreditation System:
Indonesia: Universitas Diponegoro, Management
Program and Accounting Program
Malaysia: Putra Business School MBA Program andUniversiti Teknologi MARA MBA Program
Thailand: Khon Kaen University MBA Program,
Naresuan University MBA Program.
The outline of accreditation results for the respective
programs, Good Practices for each school, and “Items to
be noted” were explained in details. Also for the
Academic Unit-based Accreditation System, results forthe undergraduate programs at FEB-Universitas
Airlangga, FEB-Universitas Brawijaya, FEB-Universitas
Lampung and FEB-Universitas Padjadjaran, all from Indonesia, were reported. In particular it wasstressed that the Academic Unit-based Accreditation System is a “quality assurance of education”,
the essential factor to promote the academic interchanges.

5. Introducing the web-based Review System into Accreditation 2020
ABEST21 will introduce the web-based Peer Review System into Accreditation 2020 due to the
spread of COVID-19 as follows:
1) Submission of the “ABEST21 Accreditation Application”
The School submits the “ABEST21 Accreditation Application” to the ABEST21 by the end of March,
2020. Also, as the effective period of quality assurance is 5 years, before the expiry the School has to5

apply to another quality assurance by ABEST21 and to continue with quality assurance as“Re-accreditation.”
2) The ABEST21 Accreditation Seminar-I 2020
The ABEST21 Accreditation Seminar-I 2020 will be held as a web-based meeting in April, 2020.
The web-based Seminar-I will be conducted following the process below.
(1) The web-based Accreditation Manual 2020 will be uploaded to the ABEST21 website.
(2) The ABEST21 will inform the schools of URL, ID and PW in order to access the ABEST21
web-based Accreditation Manual 2020.
(3) If the schools have any questions, they can enter these questions in the sheet that will be
provided.
(4) After that, teleconference between the school and ABEST21 will be arranged to answer thequestions and clarify the unclear issues found in the Manual.
3) The ABEST21 web-based Accreditation Seminar-II 2020
The ABEST21 Accreditation Seminar-II 2020 will be held as a web-based meeting in May, 2020.
The web-based Seminar-II will be conducted following the process below.
(1) The web-based Accreditation Manual 2020 will be uploaded to the ABEST21 website.
(2) The ABEST21 will inform the schools of URL, ID and PW in order to access the ABEST21
web-based Accreditation Manual 2020.
(3) If the schools have any questions, they can enter these questions in the sheet that will be
provided.
(4) After that, teleconference between the school and ABEST21 will be arranged to answer thequestions and clarify the unclear issues found in the Manual.
4) The ABEST21 web-based Accreditation PRT Training Seminar 2020
The ABEST21 Accreditation PRT Training Seminar 2020 will be held as a web-based meeting in July,
2020. The web-based Training Seminar will be conducted following the process below.
(1) The web-based Accreditation PRT Review Manual 2020 will be uploaded to the ABEST21 website.
(2) The ABEST21 will inform the PRT members of URL, ID and PW in order to access the ABEST21
web-based PRT Review Manual 2020.
(3) If PRT members have any questions, they can enter these questions in the sheet that will be
provided.
(4) After that, teleconference between the PRT members and ABEST21 will be arranged to answer
the questions and clarify the unclear issues found in the Manual.
5) Adviser System
Up to present ABEST21 has provided guidance to applicant schools through Accreditation Seminaron all issues concerning analysis of Self-Check/Self-Evaluation. As there are some cases where thetechnical terms used in the Accreditation Standards are not understood correctly, or where analysis
is not appropriately done based on the Accreditation Standards, also the terms indicated in the
ABEST21 Accreditation Manual are sometimes not correctly understood, ABEST21 has establishedthe ABEST21 Accreditation Advisor System. Under this Advisor System the applicant schools canreceive guidance from the Advisor on solving their specific problems. The use of this system is notmandatory but on as-needed base. The applicant school can receive adequate advices on unclear
points of analysis of Self-Check/Self-Evaluation, etc.
6) Deadline to submit the QIS, SCR and KAIZEN Report
Deadline for submission of the QIS, SCR and KAIZEN Report is by the end of July, 2020.
7) The Desk Review of the QIS
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In 2019, the Dean presented on the QIS in the Peer Review Committee (PRC). Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic threat, in 2020 we will conduct the Desk Review instad of the Dean’spresentation in the PRC.
8) Conducting the Peer Review Visit
We will closely monitor the developments concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. First and foremost,it is the health and wellbeing of our members that is our highest priority. So, if the situation does not
improve, we will have to conduct the Peer Review Visit with only local PRT members.
9) Holding the Peer Review Committee
We are planning to hold the Peer Review Committee in November 2020 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
If the situation does not improve, we will have to conduct the Peer Review Committee using thesame web-based review system as this time.

III. Quality Improvement-“Enriching Global Knowledge Network”＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

1. “ABEST21 Global Knowledge Network Japan Field Studies”“ABEST21 Global Knowledge Network Japan Field Studies” is a new initiative planned for theundergraduate students of ABEST21 accredited schools. It is a one-week program in Tokyo focusing
on global agenda based on political, economic and cultural viewpoints. Through interchanges among
students from different cultural backgrounds with diverse values, we intend to share the compass of
our narrowing “globe” ship.

2. ABEST21 becomes a supporting member of
Scholarship for the United Nations University
InstitutefortheAdvancedStudyof
Sustainability
The Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability at
the United Nations University aims to nurture experts able
to cope with “global urgent challenges that United Nations
and the world face”.
To support the Institute’s students
from the developing countries (master and doctoral
programs), ABEST21 has become a supporting member
category A for the Scholarship for UNU. The Master’s
program aims to nurture human resources equipped withnecessary knowledge and skills for contributing to problem
solving regarding sustainability. The Doctoral program aims
to develop researchers in the field of sustainability as ascience.

3. 2021 Annual Meeting and International Symposium
The ABEST21 Annual Meeting together with the international symposium which was postponeddue to the spread of the COVID-19, are scheduled on March 11, 2021 at the International
Conference Hall at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo. Details will be announced later.
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