School History

United International Business Schools (UIBS) was originally established in 2006 in Barcelona, Spain as an umbrella organization for business schools in Belgium and Spain. UIBS has its roots dating back to 2002 when its first school opened in Barcelona, Spain.

In 2010, UIBS regrouped its member schools and became a single multi-campus institution active in Barcelona, Madrid, Antwerp and Brussels. In 2010, Zurich, Switzerland was introduced as its new main campus, with Geneva, Milan, Tokyo and Amsterdam added as additional campuses in the following years. Also introduced was its sister institution, the United School for Liberal Studies (USLS). UIBS and USLS operate as one but offer a different set of programs.

Today, United Institute is an independent and private multi-disciplinary higher education institution with campuses across Europe and Japan offering flexible business and management studies as well as liberal and global studies at the Undergraduate and (Post)Graduate level.

We are institutionally accredited by the EQAR-listed British Accreditation Council (BAC) as well as by the ENQA-affiliated Association for Transnational Higher Education Accreditation (ATHEA). Several of our campuses have also achieved institutional certification, and most of our business programs have achieved programmatic accreditation from external agencies.^[1]

United Institute strives to combine academic and professional excellence with the stimulating advantage of a small scale and cross-cultural community of students and professors.

[1] Several programs are accredited by European Council for Business Education (ECBE), a registered affiliate of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and, at some of the campuses, by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in the USA.

• UIBS celebrates 20 years of dedication to cross-cultural education
• UIBS signs partnership with Coventry University in the UK for the delivery of university-validated and state-recognized programs

• UIBS rated a 4-star institution by the QS Intelligence Unit
• UIBS moves campus in Amsterdam, Netherlands from the Spaces Business Center to modern facilities on Weteringschans

• UIBS inaugurates local chapter of the Delta Mu Delta honor society
• UIBS introduces Blockchain-verifiable diplomas
• UIBS launches new career platform in collaboration with JobTeaser
• UIBS is recertified by EduQua for its campuses in Geneva and Zurich
• UIBS joins CEEMAN, the Central and East European Management Development Association
• UIBS partners with Pearson to deliver European state-recognized level 4 Higher National Certificate (HNC), level 5 Higher National Diploma (HND), and level 7 Extended Diploma programs rated by the UK’s Ofqual.

• UIBS ranked in the Global Top 200 for its MBA by the QS 2019 Global MBA Rankings
• UIBS partners with Dublin Business School (DBS) for students to obtain European state-recognized degrees
• UIBS expands California Extension Program in partnership with the Division of Continuing Education from the University of California at Irvine (UC Irvine)
• UIBS launches California Extension Program in partnership with the Haas School of Business from the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
• UIBS ranked as Tier One for its MBA in Europe and 6th for its Online MBA by the CEO Magazine

• UIBS obtains CRKBO registration for its campus in Amsterdam
• UIBS moves campus in Tokyo, Japan to the Spaces Business Center in downtown Tokyo
• UIBS achieves initial ACBSP accreditation for multiple programs at its campuses in Antwerp, Barcelona, Brussels and Zurich
• UIBS achieves the NRTO quality label for its campus in Amsterdam
• UIBS gets registered in the CRKBO for its campus in Amsterdam
• UIBS joins AEEN, the Asociación Española de Escuelas de Negocios
• UIBS celebrates 15 years of dedication to cross-cultural education
• UIBS opens new campus in Geneva, Switzerland located in the Spaces Business Center
• UnitedSLS starts with Undergraduate and Graduate programs across the campus network

• UIBS is recertified by EduQua for its campus in Zurich and Lausanne
• UIBS moves campus in Madrid, Spain from the Regus Business Center to modern facilities on Calle de Goya
• UIBS joins NRTO, the Nederlandse Raad voor Training en Opleiding.

• UIBS is reaccredited by ECBE for its BBA and MBA programs at various campuses
• UIBS is registered for the “KMO-portefeuille” subsidy program with the Flemish Ministry of Economic Affairs
• UIBS achieves Qfor certification for its campuses in Antwerp and Brussels
• UIBS is one of the founding members of the Association for Transnational Higher Education Accreditation (ATHEA) providing European institutional accreditation
• UIBS opens new campus in Milan, Italy in the Regus Business Center
• UIBS moves campus in Brussels, Belgium to larger modern facilities on Rue Guimard
• UIBS launches Global Bachelor and Global Master programs along with its New York Extension Program
• UIBS becomes part of a larger organization, the Global Education Corporation (GLEDCO)
• UIBS launches sister school, the United School for Liberal Studies (UnitedSLS)

• UIBS opens new campus in Amsterdam, Netherlands in the Spaces Business Center
• UIBS joins VOKA, the Antwerp Chamber of Commerce
• UIBS campus facilities standardized under the Cross-Cultural Education Center branding

• UIBS achieves EduQua certification for its campus in Zurich
• UIBS moves campus in Zurich, Switzerland to modern facilities on Brandschenkestrasse
• UIBS opens new campus in Lausanne, Switzerland in the Regus Business Center

• UIBS opens new campus in Tokyo, Japan in the Regus Business Center
• UIBS introduces live virtual teaching across its campuses, thereby improving its online and distance learning options
• UIBS is re-accredited by ECBE for its BBA and MBA programs at various campuses
• UIBS moves campus in Barcelona, Spain from Calle Aragon to larger modern facilities on Rambla de Catalunya
• UIBS celebrates 10 years of dedication to cross-cultural education

• UIBS becomes a candidate for accreditation with ACBSP
• UIBS joins AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
• UIBS opens new campus in Ghent, Belgium in the Regus Business Center
• UIBS moves campus in Zurich, Switzerland from the Regus Business Center to own facilities on Brandschenkestrasse

• UIBS achieves initial accreditation of its BBA and MBA programs with ECBE at its campus in Barcelona, Spain
• UIBS launches programs in Zurich, Switzerland in the campus facilities of the Regus Business Center
• UIBS moves HQ to Zurich, Switzerland
• UIBS joins PRME, the Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative

• UIBS launches new programs in Madrid, Spain in the campus facilities of the Regus Business Center
• UIBS opens campus facilities in Brussels, Belgium on Avenues des Arts

• UIBS formalizes the student and alumni network “Entrepreneurs United”
• UIBS reviews Undergraduate program compatibility with European and American standards
• UIBS launches new programs in Valencia, Spain in the campus facilities of the Regus Business Center
• UIBS continues in Brussels, Belgium within the campus facilities of the Regus Business Center on Avenue Louise
• UIBS opens campus facilities in Antwerp, Belgium on Meirbrug

• UIBS launches the “International Student Mobility Initiative”
• UIBS launches new programs in Antwerp, Belgium within the campus facilities of the Antwerp British School
• UIBS launches new programs in Brussels, Belgium within the campus facilities of the “Huis van het Nederlands”
• UIBS celebrates 5 years of dedication to cross-cultural education

• UIBS makes Undergraduate and Graduate programs compatible with European standards as outlined in the Bologna agreements
• UIBS moves campus in Barcelona, Spain from Passeig de Sant Gervasi to modern facilities on Carrer d’Aragó
• UIBS establishes HQ in Barcelona, Spain, continues activities of Barcelona Business School

• Barcelona Business School starts in Barcelona, Spain in campus facilities on Passeig de Sant Gervasi

• Global Council for Management Education formed