IBSS MSc Project Management First in China to Receive IPMA Accreditation

XJTLU International Business School Suzhou’s (IBSS) MSc Project Management programme has become the first educational programme in China to be accredited by the International Project Management Association (IPMA). The IPMA is a global organisation dedicated to developing project management competences and interacting with practitioners.

April 22, 2023, saw the start of the 11th International Project Management Association Research Conference and 9th World Water Valley Forum in Nanjing. The conference focused on “Research Resonating with Project Practice”, and aimed to serve as a platform for in-depth interactions and communication between practice and academia. Participants worked together to explore trending issues, pain points and solutions relevant to real-world project management practice. At the conference, IPMA Vice President and University of Zagreb Professor, Dr. Mladen Vukomanovic; Executive Director of the China Project Management Research Committee and Northwestern Polytechnical University Professor, Dr. Lixiong Ou, awarded the IBSS MSc Project Management programme with IPMA accreditation. IBSS’s Project Management programme Director, Mr. Zhiqin Ni, was present at the conference and accepted the accreditation certificate on behalf of the school.

Since the launch of the MSc Project Management programme in 2016, IBSS has worked tirelessly to cultivate the next generation of top project management talent. The programme’s curriculum is based on the IPMA personal competency framework, and excels in producing graduates fluent in both “hard” project management skills and “soft” interpersonal and business awareness skills. Speaking on this momentous achievement, Mr. Zhiqin Ni said, “The accreditation of our Project Management programme reflects IPMA’s recognition of our high-quality curriculum. This recognition will open up a range of new opportunities for IBSS, allowing knowledge and student exchange with comparable international universities offering IPMA-accredited programmes. These will serve as drivers for future improvements in teaching quality, project management research and societal impact.”

Founded in 1965, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is the world’s first international project management organisation. Headquartered in Switzerland, the IPMA is the only truly international project management organization, with more than 70 member organisations spread across the globe. The association provides individual and organisation level project management competency certification, and promotes the sharing of best practice and research in project management worldwide.