Ashridge validates degrees from the Lorange Institute

The UK’s Ashridge business school is to validate the degrees from the Lorange Institute in Zurich, owned and run by Peter Lorange, formed president of IMD in neighbouring Lausanne. Though Ashridge has held degree-awarding powers since 2008, this is the first agreement under which it will award its diplomas to students who did not study at Ashridge.

Students who successfully complete the Lorange Institute’s Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) and Executive Master of Science in Management (MSc) will receive a dual degree, with certificates from both organisations.

The benefit for these graduates is that they will hold qualifications recognised in both Switzerland and the UK, says Prof Lorange. “Although Lorange has its own Swiss degree-awarding powers, validation by a prestigious, leading UK business school provides additional value for our students. Having an international validation further boosts our reputation as the business school of the future.”

The Lorange Institute had previously collaborated with the University of Wales to award UK-recognised degrees, before it lost its degree awarding powers a year ago. Such degree validation can be lucrative.

Ashridge has made it clear that this collaboration will be the first, but not the last. It has set up an Academic Accreditation service to handle such relationships, directed by Vicky Vass. “The Academic Accreditation service enables us to be flexible and innovative in developing strategic partnerships and qualification programmes that meet the needs of working professionals around the world,” says Dr Vass. “A quality student experience is paramount, and carefully selected institutions with extensive experience and high academic standards that complement Ashridge’s well-established reputation will be considered as potential partners.”

www.ashridge.org.uk

www.lorange.org