EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development), a global network of business schools, leading corporations and distinguished leaders, rectors and deans from 95 countries engaged in the development of management and management education, has appointed the Rector of Kozminski University, Prof. Grzegorz Mazurek, PhD, as Vice-President responsible for the Central and Eastern Europe region.
This is a remarkable expression of trust in the quality of education, the strength of Polish scholarship and the standing of Kozminski University in the global management education community. Prof. Mazurek already plays an important role within EFMD as a member of the EFMD Board of Trustees, a member of the EQUIS Steering Committee, which decides on the award of this key accreditation, and Chair of the EFMD Advisory Board for Central and Eastern Europe.
EFMD and global quality standards
EFMD has built a broad, international community of business schools, educational institutions and corporate partners. It brings together 991 organisations from 95 countries and encompasses around 30,000 professionals involved in the development of management, setting global quality standards in management education. One of the most important tools in this work is EQUIS accreditation, awarded to the world’s leading business schools. Out of approximately 15,000 universities, faculties of economics and business schools worldwide, only 221 hold this distinction.
The first institution in Central and Eastern Europe to receive EQUIS accreditation was Kozminski University. The University obtained accreditation in 1999 as the sixteenth business school in Europe, alongside such global leaders as London Business School, INSEAD and IMD, and has maintained it continuously ever since. Against this backdrop, EFMD’s decision to entrust the Rector of Kozminski University with one of the key roles in the organisation’s governing structures further underscores that the University not only meets the highest international quality standards but also co-creates them at the global level.
Kozminski University’s strong position within EFMD
Prof. Grzegorz Mazurek is joining the EFMD Board of Trustees as a Vice-President, sharing responsibility for strategic decisions on the organisation’s development. At the same time, as Chair of the CEE Advisory Board, he will head the advisory body for Central and Eastern Europe, tasked with identifying the needs of the region, supporting the development of academic and business cooperation and recommending EFMD’s strategic directions in this part of the world.
The Central and Eastern Europe region, which the Rector of Kozminski University represents in EFMD’s governance structures as Chair of the CEE Advisory Board, gains a clear and prominent voice in the global discussion on the future of management education.
A new governance landscape
The appointment of the Rector of Kozminski University is part of a broader evolution in EFMD’s governance structure. For seventeen years, Alain Dominique Perrin served as Chair of the EFMD Board of Trustees, until changes to the organisation’s governance were announced. After the conclusion of this impressive tenure, he was appointed Honorary President, and the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees was assumed by Prof. Eric Cornuel.
As part of this change, a new leadership structure has been introduced to strengthen EFMD’s ability to respond to the key challenges facing contemporary management education. Five main areas of responsibility – the Americas, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, organisational transformation and artificial intelligence, and corporate relations and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) – have been entrusted to the newly appointed EFMD Vice-Presidents. Alongside Prof. Mazurek, the team includes Rebecca Taylor (former CEO of the University of Southampton Malaysia and former Pro-Vice Chancellor (ASEAN) at the University of Southampton, UK), Jikyeong Kang (President & Dean, Asian Institute of Management, Philippines), Prof. Massimo Bergami (Dean, Bologna Business School, Italy) and Laurent Choain (CEO Mazars University and Chief People, Education & Culture Officer at Forvis Mazars, France). In their work, they will be supported by the Vice-Chairs of the Advisory Boards: Luis Brito Ledur (Dean, EAESP – Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo, Brazil),
This model is based on shared leadership and strong regional and thematic representation, closely linked to EFMD’s network of institutional members operating in 95 countries. The presence of the Rector of Kozminski University in this group confirms that the University is perceived as an important partner in discussions on the future of higher education, teaching innovation and the social responsibility of business schools.
Strengthening the position of the University and the region
For Kozminski University, the Rector’s appointment as Vice-President of EFMD and Chair of the CEE Advisory Board is a confirmation of many years of consistent work on quality, symbolised, among other things, by the EQUIS accreditation held since 1999. It sends a clear signal to prospective students, alumni and business partners that a Kozminski degree is associated with the highest standards of management education recognised in the international community.
In practical terms, the new role enhances the University’s ability to initiate international projects, exchange best practices and build partnerships that will benefit students, faculty and business partners. Decisions taken within EFMD – regarding accreditation criteria, programme innovation, the use of artificial intelligence in education or the development of managerial competences – will be co-shaped by the Rector of Kozminski University, working alongside professionals dedicated to advancing the field of management.
From the perspective of the Central and Eastern Europe region, this is an opportunity to ensure that the experiences of institutions from this part of the world are heard more strongly: their achievements in internationalisation, the implementation of new teaching methods and the integration of education with business practice. As a pioneer of EQUIS accreditation in the region and a long-standing holder of this status, Kozminski University is becoming a natural point of reference for other business schools striving for the highest quality standards within EFMD’s global network.
