Estonian Business School development plan 2010-2015

Table of Contents

• Studies
• Research and development activities
• Internationalisation
• Links with society

• Management and structure
• Students
• Faculty
• Support structure

• Become an independent, international, specialised, entrepreneurial and practice-oriented private university.
• Be institutionally accredited, possess contemporary infrastructure and offer flexible study possibilities.
• Have at least one EFMD accreditation and remain, according to the Eduniversal ranking, among the 300 best-known business schools in the world.
• Provide programmes of a quality corresponding to the level of best international business universities. The school will react quickly to developments on the labour market.
• undertake positively evaluated research activities well-connected to all courses. Academic activities will concentrate on applied managerial research.
• Have 1 500 students, 75% of them from Estonia, 15% from the EU and 10% from Asia.
• Provide the students with the possibilities to study as exchange students in the best business universities in all parts of the world.
• Maintain and value relationships with its alumni.

• constantly monitors changes in the Estonian and international labour market and, taking this into consideration, develops relevant programmes as well as creating new majors. In the process of curriculum development, EBS considers the needs of its corporate partners, employers, students and other stakeholders;
• constantly keeps track of the experience of the best business schools in the world and implements this experience while developing its programmes and ensuring the development of the study quality system;
• follows EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) standards while developing its programmes;
• selects and values faculty who are research oriented and who have strong links with management practice;
• increases the number of foreign students and the volume of studies in English as well as developing common curricula and the double diploma system with its partner universities;
• supports the diversity of teaching methods, develops and increases the volume of e-learning and uses flexible study possibilities;
• encourages faculty and student exchange with universities in other countries;
• carries out and develops doctoral studies in cooperation with other universities within the framework of an International Doctoral School.

• involves faculty with outstanding research experience, thereby integrating EBS scientific research and development, as well as carrying out doctoral studies in its best possible way;
• creates constant possibilities for the faculty and researchers to publish their scientific research in international journals and proceedings;
• participates in international research and development projects and cooperates with other universities and foreign partners;
• supports the participation of EBS researchers and doctoral students in international networks, in the work of international scientific organisations, (including their boards), as well as reviewing scientific articles and publishing in international journals;
• organises international scientific conferences in Estonia and, together with its partners, participates in the organisation of conferences abroad;
• provides the financing of research and development activities, using the resources of both EBS and its partners, and coordinates and supports the application for financial means from international projects and programmes, from Estonian Science Foundation (ETF) and other sources;
• co-finances projects that involve different universities, and issues grants to faculty and researchers from the designated Development Fund for Academic Capital (AKAF).
• at least twice a year issues an international publication called EBS Review and disseminates the results of EBS scientific research both in Estonia and abroad. 

• continues to provide studies in Estonian, English and Russian and aims to increase the volume of studies in English;
• actively uses the support offered by EU programmes (ERASMUS) to exchange students, faculty and administrative staff with partner universities;
• seeks out and cooperates with various foreign partners increase the proportion of foreign students and faculty in EBS;
• develops partnership relations with well-known business universities in all parts of the world and in cooperation with them develops common courses and double degree programmes;  
• encourages its faculty to teach and conduct research in partner universities;
• creates possibilities for researchers to participate in the work of international research organisations, serve on their boards and to review the proceedings of scientific articles as well as international journals;
• provides all possible help in organising international academic conferences;
• cooperates with foreign-owned companies and organisations with the aim of creating internship possibilities for its students to acquire experience in an international working environment; 
• develops, maintains and diversifies contacts with Estonian diplomatic units in foreign countries and foreign representative bodies in Estonia.

• offers its experience and support to businesses and organisations active in Estonia to improve their management and develop their personnel;
• advises the state and government of Estonia as well as units of local municipalities;
• develops entrepreneurial cooperation with Enterprise Estonia (EAS) and Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KTK) and promotes the entrepreneurial spirit of students through the  EBS Centre for Entrepreneurship;
• annually organises at least one conference or seminar intended for entrepreneurs and business organisations as well as managers at various levels;
• motivates its faculty to write and publish specialised monographs, textbooks, and handbooks, as well as publishing articles containing research results, and regularly introduces EBS activities in the media;
• participates in projects aimed at improving the Estonia legislation as well as other former Soviet Republics;
• actively participates in the work of councils and boards of EFMD, CEEMAN and BMDA and introduces successful Estonian reforms and developments to the members of those organisations.

• relies on examples of the best private universities, whilst constantly analysing and updating its academic management and administration;
• follows the requirements set out for the quality of studies and research, participates in the Public Universities Quality Agreement and cooperates with other universities and Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (HTM) ;
• updates the quality assurance systems, develops and improves IT solutions aimed at evaluating and ensuring quality evaluation;
• improves the systems for selecting, developing and motivating employees;
• develops and implements the marketing strategy to ensure the sustainable development of EBS;
• constantly contributes to the development of marketing activities in Estonia and foreign markets, paying special attention to cooperation with EBS representatives and partners abroad;
• develops its library in cooperation with other Estonian libraries and the Estonian National Library as well as international organisations in order to use suitable electronic information resources

• includes outstanding entrepreneurs, business people and public figures in the work of the EBS Supervisory Board and other governing bodies;
• constantly contributes to the improvement and development of its IT systems.

• contributes to the continuous development of an international learning environment and favours in all possible ways communication among students and faculty from different cultural environments;
• improves the accession to a career counselling support system and enhances the spreading of information to the respective target groups;
• step by step increases the number of students who wish to study at least one semester in a partner university abroad;
• develops and expands international marketing activities to recruit foreign students to study at EBS;

• continuously contributes to ensuring the level of study and research activities, increases the number of internationally recognised foreign faculty, as well as those members of faculty holding a doctorate;
• cooperates with Estonian and foreign companies to create better internship opportunities for the students;
• provides the students with the possibility to acquire several foreign languages;
• encourages and supports students´ leisure activities in sports and cultural spheres;
• supports the student strategy (2008-2013) developed by the EBS Student Council and involves the Student Council in the management of EBS and cooperation on issues concerning the study quality and environment.

• follows the regulations for filling academic vacancies, provides for constant self-improvement and values participation in both academic research and practical management;
• provides the staff with a motivation system that supports their development and career. This motivation system considers the individual´s competences and contribution, student feedback and participation in EBS development activities;
• creates favourable conditions for furthering individual qualifications both in Estonia and abroad;
• creates the conditions for foreign faculty to work at the university, develops support services intended for international faculty and increases the faculty´s readiness and motivation to work with foreign colleagues;
• improves the self-evaluation and feedback system for the faculty;
• makes use of different financing sources to pay complementary training for academic staff.

• guarantees the students and faculty a contemporary and safe study and working environment and provides the necessary technology to conduct studies and research;
• guarantees free textbooks and required specialised literature in EBS Library and expands the possibilities for access to electronic information resources;  
• ensures the availability of information required for work and studying in Estonian, English and Russian;
• develops IT support systems, including the Study Information System and e-learning;
• develops systems to solve accommodation issues for foreign faculty and foreign students;
• cooperates with public sector organisations and units of local municipalities to facilitate the movement of foreign faculty and foreign students between Estonia and partner countries;
• promotes environmentally friendly thinking among students, faculty and other staff.