UCD Smurfit Executive Development, based at UCD Smurfit  School, has been formally admitted to UNICON. This is an invitation only alliance of the world’s leading university-based executive education providers where members share knowledge, research and perspectives to support the evolution of executive development programmes to ensure they continually provide best practice informed by global insights.

Through admission, UCD Smurfit Executive Development becomes the only Irish member and one of just 22 European business schools including INSEAD, London Business School, IESE and IMD to be awarded full membership. Other international members include the very elite of Ivy League business schools; Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania.

Admittance to UNICON is yet another endorsement for UCD Smurfit School, its Executive Development Centre and programmes. Earlier this year UCD Smurfit Executive Development Open Enrolment programmes were ranked 48th globally by the Financial Times.

Commenting on the announcement, Professor Tony Brabazon, Dean, UCD Business said: “Membership of Unicon is a significant achievement and is consistent with our objective to be a global leader in business and executive education. The Executive Education market must constantly evolve to reflect the needs of today’s business leaders. Being part of this elite community will further strengthen our capabilities to enhance our operations and ensure that the design and delivery of the School’s executive development programmes and activities are informed by international best practice.”

Helen Brophy, Director UCD Smurfit Executive Development said: “Elevation to full membership status of UNICON is testament of our commitment to the growth and development of this Business School as a leading global provider of Executive Development. Within the UCD College of Business strategy, our constant focus is on quality.  We are a triple accredited business school and are already members of elite global alliances and networks including CEMS, GNAM, PIM and PRME.  Having realised the benefits of UNICON Associate membership over the past two years, we are delighted to be awarded full-membership”.

From an accreditation perspective UCD Smurfit School is the only business school in Ireland (and one of only 82 worldwide) to hold the prestigious ‘triple crown’ of accreditation from three highly respected accreditation bodies – EQUIS (Europe); AACSB (US) and AMBA (UK).

Its participation in invitation-only elite global business school networks includes CEMS, Partnership in International Management (PIM) and the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM). The CEMS alliance is a select group of only 39 top international schools, including HEC Paris and the London School of Economics, while GNAM is a network of just 29 leading international business schools which boasts Yale, IMD, INSEAD and Oxford Said as members.

PIM is a consortium of leading international business schools where each member institution is selected on the basis of the highest degree of excellence in the fields of business administration and management, and where it can demonstrate leadership in their respective geographic region. UCD Smurfit School is one of just 65 schools in PIM with other members including Duke, NYU Stern and Chicago Booth.

UCD Smurfit School is also an advanced signatory of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) programme, a United Nations-supported initiative to raise the profile of sustainability in schools around the world, and to equip today's business students with the understanding and ability to deliver change tomorrow.

Today’s announcement also builds on the latest in a series of highly respected independent validations for UCD Smurfit School’s status as Ireland’s top graduate business school.  Earlier this month the School was ranked 24^th in the Financial Times European Business School rankings 2017. The full-time MSc in International Management was, ranked 15^th globally in the Financial Times rankings in October. Earlier this year the MSc in Finance was positioned 36^th in the world.