ABBS - The history

The idea of ABBS derives from a bold vision of the possibilities for business schools from BRICS countries to contribute to global managment education in a measure commensurate with their growing importance in the world economic and political order.As the most active groth areas in the global economy today, Brazil,Russia,India,China and South Africa also represent managment education systems that are characterized by dynamic trends of development and significant potential to add to global learning. ABBS was conceived as an initiative to bring together business schools from BRICS countries in a common forum so as to share experiences and to pursue cooperation and academic exchanges for common benefit.

The proposal to form an association of business schools of BRICS countries was first made at a conference on the theme "Management Education:Country Perspectives in a Globalizing World", hosted by Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bangalore, India from January 24 to 25, 2008. Further discussions on the proposal were held from April 4 to 7, 2008 at a meeting hosted by GLMEI of Shanghai University in China. This was followed by another conference from October 22 to 24, 2008 at the State University of Moscow, Russia where a Memorandum of Association on formation of a "BRIC Countries Association of Universities" was signed by the participants.

The formal adoption of an agreement setting up the Association of BRICS Business Schools (ABBS) with the addition of South Africa and its launching took place at XIME, Bangalore on January 31, 2009. Prof. J. Philip, President of XIME was elected the first President of ABBS.