How NIBS Members Collaborate
Internationalisation is a core priority for business schools seeking to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected global business environment. Through the NIBS network, member institutions develop partnerships that support curriculum innovation, joint programmes, collaborative research and international learning experiences. Member institutions work together to develop initiatives that strengthen academic partnerships and broaden international engagement for both students and faculty. These collaborations connect global expertise with local impact, enabling institutions to translate international partnerships into meaningful learning opportunities within their campuses and regional economies.
Why NIBS Collaboration Works
- Trusted institutional relationships
- Faculty-driven partnerships
- Flexible collaboration models
- Global network reach
- Opportunities for students and academic staff
Hans van Oudheusden, President of NIBS, Rotterdam Business School, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
“In 2008, Rotterdam Business School became a member of NIBS and immediately qualified for the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition. Just a few months later, we were competing with a team of our own against students from NIBS member institutions all over the world.
For me, that first NIBS experience fundamentally changed my entire perspective on education and shaped the course of my career. In a competitive environment that was simultaneously incredibly friendly and engaging, I saw firsthand that students are capable of truly remarkable achievements.
Upon returning to Rotterdam, we designed a range of case-based programs with the support of our NIBS colleagues—programs that remain highly successful to this day. Students learn a great deal, study efficiently, and genuinely enjoy the process. We also continue to collaborate extensively with our NIBS partners.
Over the years, we have expanded our involvement and now participate in other NIBS-organized competitions as well. Whenever we look for partners for a research project, we always turn to the NIBS family first. Whether we are seeking collaboration on specific themes, or searching for benchmarks and best practices, NIBS is always the network that provides those opportunities.
In nearly twenty years of membership, NIBS has brought tremendous value to our institution, and it continues to do so today. It is more than just a network of schools; it is a community of colleagues and friends who share a passion for international business education and for creating meaningful opportunities for students.”
Greehey School of Business, St Mary’s University, USA and Universidad del Istmo (UNIS), Guatemala
This project was initiated in 2024 as a joint venture between Greehey School of Business, St. Mary’s University, USA and Universidad del Istmo (UNIS), Guatemala.
The partnership was born directly out of the NIBS network, leveraging the established professional relationship between faculty members at both institutions. To add further international depth, the cohort was led by a Visiting Professor from Chile, creating a truly multilateral learning environment.
The Project Model
Over the course of one month, students from both countries were randomly assigned to cross-cultural teams. The core objective was to move beyond theoretical discussion and place students in a high-stakes collaborative environment.
- Task: Groups analysed a Harvard Business School case study, requiring them to synchronise across time zones and cultural business norms to form a cohesive strategic recommendation.
- Deliverable: Each of the six teams prepared and delivered a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation to the combined classes and faculty.
- Reflection: Following the presentation, students submitted individual papers reflecting on the mechanics of cross-cultural teamwork, identifying specific strengths and hurdles they encountered.
Why It Matters
The project was a resounding success, proving that COIL is an essential tool for Capstone students nearing graduation.
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- Practical Application: Students faced real-world challenges, such as navigating communication styles and coordinating diverse perspectives under a deadline.
- Rewarding Results: Faculty observation, student feedback, and the depth of the reflection papers confirmed that while the experience was challenging, it provided invaluable soft skills that cannot be taught in a traditional siloed classroom.
- Network Strength: This initiative serves as a testament to the power of the NIBS network in facilitating meaningful, low-barrier international experiences for students.
Rotterdam Business School, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (RUAS) has built an extensive global partnership network, with many long-standing collaborations with institutions worldwide. A significant number of these partnerships are connected through the NIBS network, which has become a vital platform for academic collaboration, mobility, and knowledge exchange. Together, these initiatives illustrate how RUAS and NIBS work together to translate international collaboration into concrete educational, research, and regional development opportunities.
Research Collaboration & Innovation
RUAS has played a leading role in research collaboration within the NIBS community, leveraging the network as a trust incubator for high-stakes projects.
- The ECASA Programme: An EU-funded initiative focusing on case-based education. With the exception of one partner, all participating institutions were recruited from within the NIBS network, demonstrating the strength and trust inherent in the community.
- Joint Research: Further collaborative research has included a joint research paper examining the relationship between participation in case competitions and students’ future careers, involving partners from across the NIBS network.
The university actively supports experiential learning initiatives that prepare students for the global workforce.
- Case Bootcamp: All participants in the university’s Case Bootcamp are NIBS member institutions, reinforcing the network’s role as a platform for high-quality international engagement.
- Knowledge Sharing: To further support student development, RUAS has shared a series of video tutorials designed to improve students’ capacity to perform effectively in case competitions, making these resources available to the wider NIBS community.
- Competition Legacy: RUAS has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to student engagement through consistent participation in all three NIBS competitions over many years.
Teaching, Learning, and Quality Assurance
Beyond research and competitions, RUAS contributes to the shared standards and cultural fabric of the network.
- International Weeks: Faculty and students from NIBS member institutions regularly participate in RUAS International Weeks, strengthening academic links and creating opportunities for intercultural learning.
- Accreditation & Commitment: Engagement with NIBS Accreditation demonstrates RUAS’s deep-seated commitment to internationalisation within its teaching and learning practices. By participating in these accreditation activities, the university helps define and maintain the shared standards that ensure degrees across the network remain globally respected and pedagogically sound.
Regional & Local Community Impact
The NIBS partnership extends beyond the campus walls, creating a global-to-local pipeline that benefits the Rotterdam region.
- Consultancy for Local Business: Through NIBS-related case competitions and bootcamps, international student teams often tackle real-world challenges faced by Rotterdam-based companies, providing local businesses with fresh, global perspectives.
- Talent Pipeline: By attracting high-calibre students and faculty from the NIBS network to Rotterdam, the university enriches the local professional ecosystem, fostering a diverse talent pool that supports the city’s status as a global maritime and economic hub.
- Knowledge Transfer: The insights gained from international research, such as the ECASA programme, are integrated back into the local curriculum, ensuring that the next generation of Rotterdam’s workforce is trained using world-class, internationally validated methods.
Why It Matters
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- Trust-Based Recruitment: Sourcing 90% of EU project partners from a single trusted network.
- Open-Access Resources: Elevating the global standard of case-solving through shared video curricula.
- Regional Value: Translating international expertise into actionable solutions for the Rotterdam business community.
Erasmus+ Project: COMMITTED – Compliance of Academic Activities with Foreign Trade
Key NIBS Partners:
- Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Groningen, Netherlands)
- Budapest Business University (BGE, Hungary)
- Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS, Germany – Project Coordinator)
Additional Partners:
- Moravian Business College Olomouc (Czech Republic)
- Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (Finland)
The Project
The COMMITTED (COMpliance of acadeMIc acTiviTies with forEign trade) project is an international academic collaboration addressing the growing importance of export compliance and public security considerations within higher education.
The project focuses on increasing awareness of “deemed exports” in academic contexts and supporting universities and small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) in preventing the unlawful or unintended misuse of innovative knowledge. Central to the initiative is the development of critical thinking, due diligence, and compliance skills among academic staff and institutional leaders.
Collaboration in Action
COMMITTED brings together five European universities to share expertise at the intersection of international trade compliance, research, and higher education governance.
Network Synergy
Coordinated by THWS, the partnership combined diverse institutional perspectives to co-create shared resources. By summer 2024, the project delivered a practical manual on export compliance in the academic sector, alongside training materials, policy recommendations, and presentations designed to support university staff across Europe.
Why It Matters
For NIBS members, COMMITTED demonstrates how international collaboration can address complex and emerging challenges facing higher education. The project shows how universities can work together to strengthen institutional responsibility, protect public security, and support ethical knowledge exchange without limiting academic openness.
The outcomes of COMMITTED including published reports, training resources, and staff development activities, provide lasting value beyond the project itself, reinforcing the role of the NIBS network as a platform for meaningful, policy‑relevant, and practice‑oriented collaboration.
Joint Publications
Name of Publication: Borderlands: The Internationalisation of Higher Education Teaching Practices, Publication Date: © 2022 (Springer)
Dr. Debbie Lock, Dr. Paul Agu Igwe, Dr. Dieu Hack-Polay (University of Lincoln – Former NIBS member) & Dr. Andrea Caputo, University of Trento
Key NIBS Contributors:
- Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
- Washburn University (USA)
The Project
Published by Springer, Borderlands explores the complex journey of internationalising teaching practices within higher education. The volume examines how educators navigate the “borderlands” between cultural, institutional, and pedagogical frameworks in order to design genuinely global learning experiences.
Drawing on international case studies, the book highlights both the challenges and opportunities of teaching across borders, offering practical insights for educators working in increasingly diverse and interconnected academic environments.
Collaboration in Action
Borderlands is a strong example of NIBS members sharing their expertise to shape global academic discourse:
Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Hanze University of Applied Sciences contributed a chapter analysing seven intercultural teaching experiences across Europe, Asia, and Australia using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions framework. The chapter shows that while some cultural patterns in teacher-student interactions align with common expectations, many are challenged in practice, highlighting the need to avoid assumptions. Overall, it confirms Hofstede’s model as a useful preparation tool for international teaching when applied with openness and flexibility.
Washburn University
Washburn University contributed a chapter presenting an innovative international business course that combines virtual collaboration with study‑abroad experiences across four continents. The course brings together students from multiple universities to work in multicultural teams on real-world business challenges, fostering critical thinking, self‑efficacy, and entrepreneurial skills. The model is designed to be affordable, replicable, and effective, with lasting benefits in the form of sustained academic networks and international partnerships.
Network Synergy
These diverse institutional perspectives are brought together into a cohesive and accessible guide. The volume demonstrates how international collaboration can enrich teaching practice and provides a valuable resource for educators seeking to internationalise their own classrooms.
Why It Matters
For NIBS members, Borderlands demonstrates the strength of the network as a platform for high‑quality scholarly collaboration. By bringing together perspectives from the UK, the Netherlands, and the USA, the project achieved a level of depth and global reach that would not have been possible without sustained international partnership.
The book stands as a tangible example of how NIBS facilitates collaboration that moves beyond exchange to real academic impact, influencing thinking and practice in higher education worldwide.
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences uses the NIBS network as a practical platform to develop international learning, student mobility, and applied research collaborations. Through faculty‑driven partnerships, Zuyd translates international relationships into concrete educational experiences for students and staff.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
Zuyd actively engages in COIL initiatives with multiple NIBS partner institutions, enabling students to collaborate in international teams as part of their regular curriculum.
Examples include:
- Scenario Planning projects with Manchester Metropolitan University and American College of Greece
- International Business Simulation (Cesim) involving partners such as Universidad Cesar Vallejo (UCV), Belmont University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Gengdan Institute, Heilongjiang University, Guelph Humber, EPHEC, and Woxsen University
- International Debate Series with Belmont University
- Coaching and Feedback Across Borders in collaboration with UC Leuven‑Limburg (UCLL)
These activities allow students to develop cross‑cultural teamwork, strategic thinking, and communication skills in a global classroom environment.
Global Experiential Learning
Through NIBS connections, Zuyd co‑creates immersive international learning experiences that combine academic content with real‑world exposure.
- Global Business Experience, China, developed with Washburn University, offers students an intensive international programme combining business education with cultural immersion.
- Social Immersion with Woxsen University, Zuyd has expanded its global experiential learning through Social Immersion projects with Woxsen University. As part of this initiative, Zuyd students visit Woxsen University in India to engage in Social Immersion activities that expose them to local business, social, and community contexts. The project enables students to apply academic knowledge in unfamiliar environments while developing cultural awareness, ethical sensitivity, and reflective learning skills.
Student Study Visits
NIBS partnerships support short‑term mobility and study visits that complement virtual collaboration.
- Incoming visits to Zuyd from Manchester Metropolitan University and Universidad Cesar Vallejo
- Outgoing study visits from Zuyd to partners including Belmont University, UC Leuven‑Limburg, Gengdan Institute, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, and Woxsen University
These exchanges strengthen institutional relationships while offering accessible international experiences for students.
Research Collaboration
Zuyd also uses the NIBS network as a foundation for joint research and publications in international business education.
Current collaborations include:
- Belonging in International Education with Manchester Metropolitan University and Belmont University
- Social Immersion research projects with Woxsen University
- Sustainability Research in collaboration with Belmont University
Why It Matters
Through NIBS, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences is able to:
- Embed international collaboration directly into the curriculum
- Scale international learning beyond traditional mobility
- Connect education, research, and global engagement through trusted partnerships
This approach ensures that internationalisation at Zuyd is both inclusive and impactful, benefiting a broad student population.
Heilongjiang International University (HIU), Harbin, China
Heilongjiang International University (HIU) demonstrates how NIBS provides a low‑barrier, high‑impact platform for student engagement, international visibility, and institutional collaboration.
Business Simulation as an Accessible International Experience
HIU has made extensive use of the NIBS/EcoSim International Business Simulation Competition as a core international learning activity. The competition has proven particularly attractive to students due to its fully online format and low participation cost, making international engagement accessible to large cohorts without the need for physical mobility.
HIU teams have consistently performed at the highest level in the competition, achieving top leaderboard positions and multiple podium finishes. These results reflect both strong student engagement and effective integration of the simulation into the university’s international business education approach.
Hosting the NIBS Annual Conference in China
In May 2019, HIU hosted the NIBS Annual Conference in Harbin, marking the first time the conference was held in China. The event brought together more than 90 international delegates, representing universities from 17 countries.
Under the theme “Changing China”, the conference featured academic sessions, keynote lectures, and institutional discussions focused on international business education and global collaboration. Hosting the conference significantly strengthened HIU’s visibility within the NIBS network and deepened relationships with partner institutions worldwide.
Student Mobility and Institutional Partnerships
Beyond competitions and conferences, HIU actively uses the NIBS network to support student mobility and institutional partnerships. Engagement through NIBS has facilitated the development of exchange agreements, visiting faculty initiatives, and collaborative academic activities with member institutions across Europe and beyond.
These partnerships extend the impact of NIBS participation beyond single events, embedding internationalisation into HIU’s longer‑term academic strategy.
Why It Matters
HIU’s engagement with NIBS highlights how the network enables institutions to:
- Provide inclusive international experiences through low‑cost, scalable activities
- Showcase student excellence on a global competitive stage
- Build international visibility by hosting high‑profile network events
- Translate network participation into sustained academic partnerships
Together, these activities demonstrate how NIBS collaboration can support internationalisation at scale while remaining accessible and student‑centred.
Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), UK
Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) has developed a highly impactful model of international collaboration through its engagement with the NIBS network.
What began with an ambition for international competitions and collaborative pedagogy has evolved into a strategically embedded approach to global learning, driven by sustained partnerships. Through joint training, student competitions, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), and scholarly dissemination, MMU has transformed both teaching practice and student outcomes.
Joint Training: Learning Through Collaboration
When MMU first entered the world of international case competitions, the university was at an early stage of understanding what competitions involved and how students should be prepared. There was limited experience of student selection, coaching models, presentation structures, or even the use of mock sessions. Recognising these gaps, MMU reached out to Babes‑Bolyai University, whose students had won MMU’s first ever competition experience (NIBS Worldwide, Iowa).
Together, MMU and BBU co‑designed a joint training programme for students and coaches. Importantly, this collaboration supported not only student development but also professional learning for MMU staff, who were themselves new to competitive pedagogy.
The first joint training took place in Milan in 2023, selected as a midpoint between Manchester and Cluj. Babes‑Bolyai University led sessions focused on understanding what competitions look like in practice, how teams should prepare, how presentations are structured, and what judges expect. Students from both institutions trained together. While students benefited significantly, the steepest learning curve was for MMU coaches, who began to appreciate the depth and intensity of preparation required.
Despite this progress, MMU failed to qualify for the next stage of competition. This proved to be a pivotal moment. It highlighted that while the initial training prepared students for participation, it did not address the crucial question of how teams qualify for elite competitions.
This led to a second phase of training in Cluj‑Napoca in 2024, where MMU staff and students again trained alongside BBU. This time, the focus was explicitly on qualification for the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition. MMU staff were able to observe BBU’s recruitment, selection, and training processes first‑hand, leading to a step‑change in MMU’s own approach. Selection criteria, coaching structures, and training intensity were fundamentally redesigned as a result.
A third training visit followed in Cluj‑Napoca in 2025, allowing MMU to refine and consolidate these changes. By this stage, improvements in preparation, confidence, and performance were clearly visible, and competition results began to improve markedly.
Student Competitions
MMU’s competition programme began in 2023, when the university entered NIBS Worldwide for the first time and participated in just two competitions that year. Participation has grown year‑on‑year, driven by improved training, confidence, and reputation within the international competition community.
By 2026, MMU students are involved in 15 competitions (not all involving NIBS members), and the university is now receiving invitations to increasingly prestigious competitions worldwide. Outcomes include MMU’s first competition wins (including a win in Cairo), a silver medal at the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition 2026, a Best Presenter award at ROCA 2025, and other podium finishes in non‑NIBS competitions. MMU staff have also trained a Norwegian team that went on to win a competition in Iceland, demonstrating outward knowledge transfer.
However, performance outcomes are only part of the impact. Competitions have fundamentally reshaped teaching and assessment at MMU. Some competitions, such as the NIBS Business Plan Competition, are now fully embedded into the curriculum and form part of assessed coursework. More broadly, competition thinking has transformed pedagogy: multiple assignments are structured like competitions, and case‑based learning is embedded across many modules.
This shift has had strategic and measurable impact. Competition trained students consistently outperform their peers across a range of academic and employability metrics. The approach has also informed AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accreditation submissions, evidencing institutional‑level impact. In parallel, MMU has published scholarly work on its competition‑based pedagogy, influencing practice at other universities. MMU’s NIBS‑related competition engagement includes BBU‑ICC (hosted by Babes‑Bolyai), ROCA, RICCB, IBCC, NIBS Worldwide, and the NIBS Business Plan Competition, with repeated participation and invitations year‑on‑year.
Research Collaboration
Research collaboration has developed directly from NIBS engagement and conference activity.
- A joint book chapter involving MMU, Belmont University, and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, based on research conducted at a NIBS conference and focused on belonging.
- An edited book (2026) on Belonging in the Workplace, co‑edited by MMU and Athens College of Greece (ACG), which includes the above chapter.
- Four additional book chapters (2025–2026) co‑authored between MMU and American College of Greece, reflecting an ongoing research partnership.
- A further international edited volume (publisher: Edward Elgar, subject to final approval) focused on internationalisation, with planned contributions from NIBS members.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL): Scaling Internationalisation
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is strategically embedded at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and has expanded beyond individual programmes to become a cross‑school and cross‑faculty approach to internationalisation. Each department has a COIL lead, supported by faculty‑level oversight and faculty‑wide initiatives. Over the past 12 months, more than 500 MMU students from multiple schools and faculties have engaged in COIL activity, with participation continuing to grow.
While MMU’s COIL portfolio extends beyond the NIBS network, collaborations with NIBS partner institutions play a central role. COILs are fully integrated into teaching and assessment across both cognate and non‑cognate disciplines, enabling interdisciplinary international collaboration. Importantly, MMU has explicitly linked its COIL and competition strategies, using COIL projects as a preparatory phase for competition‑style problem‑solving. This integrated model has led to improved student engagement and performance and is now informing published pedagogic research.
Below are NIBS‑related COIL initiatives. They contain a mix of non-embedded and embedded projects. These range from single-day programmes to ones that last four months. Those marked with an asterisk are embedded into assessed coursework.
- Scenario Planning COIL (2025) – MMU, American College of Greece and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. Students explore a future scenario where it is 2035 and the United States of Europe is thriving, analysing implications for universities and national contexts in the UK, Greece, and the Netherlands.
- Cashless Economy COIL (2025) – MMU and American College of Greece. A comparative analysis of the cashless economy in Manchester and Athens, linking theory to lived economic contexts.
- Primark COIL (2025) – MMU and Technological University Dublin. Comparison of Primark/Penneys operations in the UK and Ireland.
- Tesco COIL (2025)* – MMU and Budapest University of Economics and Business. Examination of Tesco’s operations in the UK and Hungary.
- BYD COIL (2025) – MMU and Heilongjiang International University. Comparative study of BYD’s operations in China and the UK.
- Aim2Flourish COIL (2025) – hosted by Avans University of Applied Sciences. A large‑scale (“monster”) COIL involving MMU, EPHEC, Guelph Humber, and Avans, connected to the global Aim2Flourish initiative (https://aim2flourish.com/)
- Glebe COIL (2025 and 2026) – MMU and Carleton University* Students collaborate across institutions to work for a live client in Canada (Glebe), solving a real business problem in real time.
- Consultancy COIL (2026)* – MMU, Guelph Humber and multiple international partners. A short (one-day) COIL where students deliver a presentation to each other and receive feedback to help with their assignments
- Young Enterprise COIL (2026)* – MMU, Guelph Humber, and multiple international partners. An innovative, asynchronous COIL where MMU students submit assessed work and receive feedback from students around the world. This scalable model is designed for replication by other universities.
The programme has been a catalyst for non-NIBS universities such as NTNU (Norway), AUC (Egypt), and Unimore (Italy) – all of whom have now begun to develop their own COIL programmes as a direct result of working with MMU in their inaugural programme. MMU would be delighted to work with NIBS members who wish to set up their own programmes. Please contact Mark if you would like to discuss this further m.crowder@mmu.ac.uk
Student Study Visits
Increasingly, MMU is working with NIBS partners to support short‑term mobility and study visits
- Inbound study visit from Guelph Humber
- Outbound study visits to Dublin TUI, Zuyd UAS, Heilbronn
These exchanges strengthen institutional relationships while offering accessible international experiences for students.
Strategic Partnerships
The partnership between Manchester Metropolitan University and Kolding IBA demonstrates how collaborations initiated through NIBS can extend beyond the Business School to deliver wider institutional impact. A key outcome is collaboration on 3D printing between Kolding IBA and MMU PrintCity (Faculty of Science and Engineering), representing a discipline‑level spin‑off from NIBS engagement. This partnership highlights how NIBS‑enabled relationships can generate cross‑faculty collaboration, supporting applied innovation and knowledge exchange across the university.
In 2023 MMU and Guelph Humber developed a formal progression agreement which offers GH undergraduate students direct progression onto MMU postgraduate programmes at a discounted rate. These programmes cover management, consultancy, and sustainability and are therefore of growing importance internationally.
Why It Matters
Taken together, MMU’s collaboration through NIBS demonstrates how joint training, student competitions, and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) can act as mutually reinforcing mechanisms for internationalisation. What began as an ambition has become a deeply embedded, scalable, and research‑informed model that delivers measurable value across multiple dimensions of the university’s international activity.
Key outcomes include:
- Enhanced student capability and performance, with competition‑trained students consistently outperforming peers and achieving international podium finishes
- Transformation of teaching and assessment, through the embedding of competition‑based and case‑based learning across multiple programmes
- Scalable international engagement, with COIL initiatives reaching hundreds of students annually and extending global learning beyond mobility
- Professional development for staff, enabled through joint training, peer learning, and co‑creation with international partners
- Institutional and strategic impact, informing accreditation processes (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA) and shaping internationalisation strategy
- Knowledge creation and dissemination, through published research and transferable models adopted by other universities
- Sustained value for partners, strengthening long‑term collaboration within the NIBS community
UCLL University of Applied Sciences, Leuven and Limburg, Belgium
UCLL University of Applied Sciences (Leuven & Limburg) has developed a strong and practice-oriented model of international collaboration through the NIBS network. As a university of applied sciences, UCLL focuses on creating meaningful international opportunities that enhance employability, academic progression, and global competence for its students. Through sustained partnerships, student mobility, and progression pathways, many of which have been established and strengthened via NIBS, UCLL has embedded internationalisation as a core element of the student experience.
Student Exchange: Business Project USA
One of the flagship examples of UCLL’s international collaboration is its annual student exchange with Washburn University (USA), delivered through the Business Project USA. This exchange is partially funded through an Erasmus+ ICM project (KA171) and offers a unique, practice-based international experience for students at both institutions.
The programme combines academic study with applied business project work, enabling students to collaborate across cultures, develop professional skills, and gain first-hand experience of working in an international context. The exchange has become a recurring and sustainable element of UCLL’s mobility portfolio and represents a high-impact opportunity for students on both sides of the partnership. Supporting materials, including a dedicated programme video, further highlight the value and visibility of this collaboration.
Progression Pathways: From Applied Degrees to Master’s Programmes
As a university of applied sciences in Belgium, UCLL does not offer master’s degrees. Instead, it has developed a strategic international model that enables students graduating with an Advanced Business Management degree to progress to a master’s degree in just two or three semesters at selected partner institutions.
Many of these progression pathways exist because of UCLL’s engagement with NIBS, and include partnerships with institutions such as Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, SEMO, Washburn University, Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, and Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences. These partnerships create clear, structured academic routes for students, extending the impact of international collaboration beyond short-term mobility and into long-term academic and career development.
Building a Global Partner Network Through NIBS
More broadly, a significant number of NIBS member institutions are now formal partner institutions of UCLL, supported by Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and active semester-long student exchanges. NIBS has played a key role as a platform for initiating, deepening, and sustaining these relationships.
A concrete example of this network effect emerged at the NIBS Conference in Manchester (2024), where UCLL established contact with Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). As a direct result of this connection, UCLL will send three students to BFSU for a study semester for the first time in the upcoming fall semester, expanding its exchange portfolio into a new geographical and cultural context.
Why It Matters
Taken together, UCLL’s collaboration through NIBS demonstrates how international networks can translate directly into tangible student opportunities and sustainable institutional partnerships.
Key outcomes include:
- High-impact student mobility, through funded exchanges and applied international projects
- Clear academic progression pathways, enabling applied-degree graduates to access international master’s programmes efficiently
- A growing global partner network, built through trust, continuity, and personal connections fostered by NIBS
- Practical internationalisation, aligned with UCLL’s applied mission and student employability goals
- New collaborations emerging organically, such as the BFSU exchange initiated through NIBS conference engagement
This case illustrates how NIBS functions not only as a network, but as a catalyst for lasting collaboration, enabling institutions like UCLL to expand global opportunities for students in ways that are strategic, inclusive, and impactful.
University of Northern Iowa (UNI), USA
The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) has been an engaged and long‑standing member of the NIBS network, with a strong commitment to experiential learning, academic collaboration, and community building across the network. While student competitions have been a central pillar of UNI’s involvement, its engagement with NIBS extends well beyond participation, encompassing hosting, judging, partnership development, and the active expansion of the NIBS community.
Student Competitions and Experiential Learning
Participation in the NIBS case competition programme has been the most significant and visible opportunity for UNI students, providing them with high‑impact experiential learning in an international context. UNI’s engagement with case competitions has supported the development of applied problem‑solving skills, teamwork, and professional presentation capabilities, while also strengthening faculty collaboration within the network. UNI’s experience and expertise in this area are reflected not only in participation, but also in institutional contribution, including the hosting of two NIBS case competitions and continued involvement in competition governance and evaluation.
Contribution to the NIBS Network
UNI plays an active role in sustaining and strengthening NIBS initiatives. Faculty from UNI have served as judges at NIBS competitions, including judging at the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition in 2025, and UNI is now in its third year of judging the NIBS Business Plan Competition. These roles demonstrate UNI’s commitment to quality assurance, peer support, and the continued development of NIBS flagship activities.
In addition, UNI has contributed to the growth of the NIBS network by introducing new member institutions, including Universidade de Brasília and EAFIT University, helping to broaden the geographic reach and diversity of the network.
Building New International Partnerships Through NIBS
Beyond competitions, UNI is actively developing new international collaborations that have emerged directly from NIBS conferences and personal connections. A key example is the growing relationship between UNI and Assumption University in Thailand, which would not have been initiated without meeting a colleague through the NIBS Annual Conference in Korea. This partnership is now developing into a solid foundation for future academic collaboration and joint activities.
Why It Matters
UNI’s engagement with NIBS illustrates the value of long‑term, active participation in an international academic network.:
- High‑impact experiential learning for students through sustained involvement in case competitions
- Leadership and service to the network through hosting and judging NIBS competitions
- Community building, by bringing new institutions into the NIBS family
- New international partnerships, initiated through NIBS conferences and professional connections
- New collaborations emerging organically, such as the BFSU exchange initiated through NIBS conference engagement
- A shift from participation to contribution, strengthening the overall resilience and quality of the NIBS network
UNI’s case demonstrates how NIBS functions not only as a platform for student activity, but as a catalyst for enduring academic relationships and network growth.
Assumption University of Thailand (AU)
Assumption University of Thailand (AU) is one of the long‑standing members of the NIBS network, with a strong international profile and a consistent record of engagement in global collaboration and network activities. From an early stage, AU adopted an explicit internationalisation agenda and has used its engagement with NIBS as a key platform to develop, structure, and extend that international engagement.
Hosting the NIBS Conference
Assumption University hosted the NIBS Annual Conference in 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme “Crisis Management & the Creative Economy”. Hosting the conference supported AU’s internationalisation agenda by bringing together NIBS members for academic exchange, professional dialogue, and relationship‑building.
Internationalisation in Practice
Internationalisation has long been embedded within Assumption University’s institutional strategy. Assumption University is widely recognised as Thailand’s first international university and the earliest institution in the country to adopt English as the primary medium of instruction. Building on this foundation, AU has consistently used its participation in NIBS to develop partnerships, benchmark practice, and translate strategic intent into sustained academic activity.
International Links and Network Pathways
AU’s engagement with NIBS has enabled the development of cross‑regional academic pathways linking Asia, Europe, and the United States. Relationships formed through NIBS conferences have supported emerging collaboration between Assumption University and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI).
In parallel, AU has developed advanced academic collaboration, including doctoral‑level partnerships with Heilongjiang International University (China), supporting joint academic programmes and graduate‑level study.
Engagement with NIBS Competitions
Assumption University contributes actively to NIBS competitions. AU faculty have regularly served as judges in NIBS case competitions, including the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition in China in 2025.
Accreditation and Quality Assurance
The Graduate School of Business at Assumption University was awarded NIBS accreditation in November 2019 and successfully achieved reaccreditation in 2025, reflecting sustained performance in internationalisation and quality assurance.
Why It Matters
- Early and sustained commitment to internationalisation
- Leadership and service through hosting the NIBS Annual Conference
- Development of Asia–Europe–US academic pathways
- Advanced doctoral‑level collaboration
- Commitment to quality evidenced by NIBS reaccreditation
AU’s case illustrates how NIBS functions as a developmental platform for sustained, institution‑level international collaboration.
Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences has been an engaged member of the NIBS network for many years, using it as a platform to strengthen internationalisation, student development, and institutional partnerships. Through sustained participation, the university has integrated NIBS activities into both curricular and extracurricular initiatives, creating lasting value for students and staff.
Since 2013, Heilbronn University has regularly participated in the NIBS Case Competition, providing students with hands-on experience in solving real-world business challenges in an international context.
In 2020, the university had the privilege of hosting the NIBS Case Competition, bringing students and faculty from across the network to Heilbronn. This event not only strengthened the university’s visibility within NIBS but also deepened relationships with partner institutions.
Network Synergies and Collaboration
A key benefit of NIBS membership has been the strengthening of connections between partner universities across Europe and beyond. Several NIBS institutions are also part of the International Marketing Week Network, creating valuable overlaps and reinforcing long-standing collaborations. This synergy was formally recognised in 2023, when the International Marketing Week Network received the prestigious David Gillingham Award within the NIBS community, highlighting the impact of joint initiatives that originate within the network.
Student Mobility and International Opportunities
Through NIBS, Heilbronn University has significantly expanded its global partner network, offering students and lecturers (both from the sending and the receiving institutions) a wide range of international opportunities. These include:
- Semester-long exchange programmes
- Short-term mobility formats such as international weeks and intensive programmes
This broad portfolio ensures that international experience is accessible to a large and diverse group of students.
Community and Lasting Impact
Beyond formal collaboration, NIBS plays a vital role in building personal connections. The network fosters friendships across cultures and continents, creating memorable experiences for both students and faculty that extend far beyond the classroom.
Why It Matters
Heilbronn University’s engagement with NIBS demonstrates how the NIBS membership creates meaningful impact:
- Experiential Learning: Long-term participation in the NIBS Case Competition enhances students’ practical and intercultural skills
- Institutional Visibility: Hosting international events strengthens global recognition and partnerships
- Network Synergy: Overlapping initiatives such as the International Marketing Week Network deepen collaboration
- Expanded Mobility: A broad partner network enables diverse and inclusive international opportunities
- Community Building: Personal connections and shared experiences foster lasting relationships worldwide
Manchester Metropolitan University, UK; Rotterdam Business School, Netherlands; and Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania
The Project
The 2026 I-CEE Student Case Competition brought together students from around the world to tackle real business challenges in an international and highly competitive environment. Hosted by the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), the competition attracted 741 students representing 141 universities across 44 countries.
Among the finalists was Team Next Move, a multicultural team composed of students from Manchester Metropolitan University Business School (UK), Rotterdam Business School, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), and Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania).
After progressing through the preliminary rounds, the team advanced to the final stage, joining just 25 teams selected to present their solutions before a panel of academic and industry judges from China, the Netherlands, and Mexico.
The team worked on a live business challenge provided by MICO WORLD, developing strategic recommendations that addressed a real-world organisational issue while balancing diverse perspectives, experiences, and approaches to problem-solving.
Collaboration in Action
The success of Team Next Move demonstrates the power of international collaboration and the value of global learning experiences.
Students from three countries worked together across cultural and academic backgrounds to analyse a complex business challenge, develop actionable recommendations, and deliver a compelling solution under competitive conditions. Throughout the project, team members learned to navigate different communication styles, build consensus across perspectives, and transform diverse ideas into a unified strategic proposal.
The experience moved beyond traditional classroom learning by immersing students in an environment that closely reflected the realities of international business practice. Team members developed skills in cross-cultural collaboration, problem solving, stakeholder communication, and decision making while working under time pressure and presenting to an international panel of judges.
The partnership also highlights the strength of networks such as NIBS in creating opportunities for students to engage with peers from other institutions and countries, broadening their perspectives while building professional competencies that are increasingly important in the global workplace.
Why It Matters
The achievement of Team Next Move illustrates how international collaboration can transform student learning experiences.
Global Teamwork
Students gained first-hand experience working in multicultural teams, learning how to leverage different viewpoints and cultural perspectives to strengthen decision-making and innovation.
Applied Learning
By working on a genuine business challenge provided by industry, students were able to apply academic knowledge to a practical context, bridging the gap between theory and professional practice.
International Mindset
The competition encouraged students to develop the adaptability, communication skills, and global awareness needed to succeed in an increasingly interconnected business environment.
Outstanding Results
Competing against a field of 741 students from 141 universities across 44 countries, Team Next Move achieved First Prize, demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative international learning and the impact that diverse teams can achieve when working towards a common goal.
Key Outcomes
- First Prize at the 2026 I-CEE Student Case Competition.
- Collaboration between students from three NIBS member institutions across three countries.
- Development of strategic solutions for a real-world business challenge presented by MICO WORLD.
- Enhanced student capabilities in cross-cultural teamwork, communication, and problem solving.
- Creation of meaningful international connections that extend beyond the competition itself.
IBA International Business Academy, Kolding, Denmark
For nearly three decades, IBA International Business Academy has helped turn NIBS connections into opportunities for students and colleagues. A member since 1997, IBA has contributed to the network through student competitions, international partnerships, conference hosting and the generous sharing of its expertise.
A Lasting Commitment to International Education
IBA was the first institution to receive NIBS International Accreditation in 2009 and the first to be reaccredited in 2014. It gained reaccreditation again in 2026, reflecting a sustained commitment to international business education.
Student Competitions and Coaching
The NIBS Worldwide Case Competition has been an important part of that commitment. IBA’s student teams have tested their ideas alongside peers from around the world, winning silver in 2014 and bronze in 2018. IBA made case preparation part of a student talent programme, giving students the chance to develop their problem solving, teamwork and presentation skills through demanding business challenges.
IBA’s coach received the competition’s Most Inspiring Coach award in 2018. IBA colleagues have also contributed as judges, sharing their experience with students from across the network. After a three year break, IBA revived its Case Team Programme in 2025, opening the door to a new group of students.
International Partnerships and Student Mobility
IBA’s partnerships create other routes to international experience. Its work with fellow NIBS member Troy University has enabled students to spend a funded semester studying in Denmark.
IBA also has a longstanding Confucius Institute partnership with Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, now a fellow NIBS member. Through education, language, culture and business activities, that partnership has built lasting links between Denmark and China.
Strengthening the NIBS Community
IBA helps bring universities from Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia into the network, creating more possibilities for members to meet and work together. In 2014, IBA received the NIBS David Gillingham Award for its VELUX Foundation Project.
IBA has also welcomed the NIBS community to Kolding. Having hosted the annual conference in 2007, it did so again in 2026 under the theme Business Education for a Changing World. The conference brought together delegates from more than 30 countries to share ideas, strengthen relationships and explore new collaborations.
Why It Matters
What makes IBA’s contribution so valuable is the care it puts into making international opportunities real. Its colleagues coach students, welcome partners and give their time to the wider network. Through that work, IBA helps students see what they can achieve beyond the borders of their own institution and gives them the confidence to seek out further rewarding international experiences.
Troy University, Sorrell College of Business, USA
Dr Clint Relyea: Opening the World to Students
Dr Clint Relyea has spent more than 35 years helping students understand international business through direct experience. He has taught on six continents and visited more than 80 countries, but the lasting value of his work lies in the opportunities he has created for students, particularly those who might never have imagined studying abroad.
His connection with NIBS reaches back to 2013. While at Arkansas State University, Clint took students to Salinas de Guaranda in Ecuador, where they worked with local enterprises and applied their business skills to practical problems. The initiative earned Arkansas State the inaugural David Gillingham Award for excellence in international business education.
Turning Relationships into Student Opportunities
At Troy University, Clint established the Sorrell Global Scholars programme, which grew from four students to nearly 100 over five years. He now directs its successor, the Sorrell Society of International Fellows. Students build their understanding of other countries through coursework, conversations with international peers, visits to businesses and study abroad.
Clint’s teaching brings the wider world into the classroom too. In an international trade show assignment, student teams research a country, contact its consulate or ambassador, and present what they have learned. When travel was interrupted during the pandemic, he drew on his international relationships to bring guest speakers from at least 15 countries into classes online.
Those relationships also connect Troy students with fellow NIBS members. A project with IBA International Business Academy in Kolding secured funding that enabled students to spend a semester studying in Denmark. Clint also works with Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro in Mexico. Troy and Anáhuac signed a partnership agreement in 2024, and students have since taken part in visits and semester study between the two institutions.
In Peru, Clint visited Universidad César Vallejo and spoke with business students across three campuses about international study and careers.
Welcoming the NIBS Community to Troy
Troy hosted the NIBS Annual Conference in Alabama in 2025, bringing together around 50 members from 20 countries to share their work. At the conference, Sorrell Global Scholars Caden Whitt and Mollie Kate Erwin won the David Gillingham Award for American Citizen, Global Citizen. They were the first students to receive it. Twelve years after Clint’s Ecuador project contributed to the inaugural award, students from the programme he leads brought it back to Troy.
Why It Matters
Clint’s work shows what sustained personal commitment can achieve in international business education. For more than 35 years, he has built relationships, found opportunities and encouraged students to take them. His programmes give students, including those who may never have imagined studying abroad, the support to learn in unfamiliar places.
The strength of his contribution lies in the experiences he creates. Students have worked with local enterprises in Ecuador, studied with partners in Denmark and Mexico, and learned from international experts brought into their classroom. These opportunities ask them to listen carefully, adapt their thinking and use their business knowledge in ways that matter to other people.
Clint has also given generously to the NIBS community. He has connected member schools, welcomed colleagues to Troy and shared an approach to education that puts students at its heart. Seeing his students receive the David Gillingham Award in 2025, twelve years after his Ecuador project helped earn the inaugural award, reflected Clint’s commitment to providing students with international opportunities. The measure of Clint’s work is the growth of the students whose horizons he has widened and whose confidence has grown because of his belief in them.
Clint embodies the spirit of NIBS through his generosity with colleagues, his commitment to collaboration across borders and his belief that every connection should create opportunities for students.
Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Business, İzmir, Türkiye
A NIBS member since 2021, Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Business combines international partnerships, student competitions and shared teaching to broaden opportunities for its students and colleagues.
Building on International Accreditation
The faculty became Türkiye’s first recipient of NIBS International Accreditation in January 2023, with accreditation awarded for five years. In July 2026, it gained AACSB accreditation, drawing on its NIBS work as the foundation for the international section of its submission.
Student Ideas on an International Stage
In 2025, its RoboDuco team took third place in the NIBS Worldwide Business Plan Competition. Their educational platform connects coding with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, giving students the opportunity to develop and defend an entrepreneurial idea before international judges.
New Partnerships Through NIBS Conferences
Participation in NIBS annual conferences led to two new Erasmus+ inter-institutional agreements in 2025: with Budapest University of Economics and Business in Hungary and IBA International Business Academy in Kolding, Denmark. These agreements complement the faculty’s existing Erasmus+ agreement with Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
They show how meeting colleagues through the network can lead to formal partnerships that support future student and staff mobility.
Shared Teaching Across Borders
The faculty also has longstanding Erasmus+ partnerships with Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, UCLL University of Applied Sciences, Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences and a partner institution in Alba Iulia, Romania. These relationships, established through Businet and the NICE Network, connect the faculty with fellow NIBS members and support student and staff exchanges as well as blended and online learning.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) with Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences has been running since 2024, including work on consumer behaviour in the circular economy.
With UCLL, the faculty has participated in the WOB COIL project since 2025. For the 2026 collaboration, Dokuz Eylül is providing the client, Maxion Wheels, bringing a business perspective into students’ shared learning.
Heilbronn and the faculty’s partner in Alba Iulia also collaborate through Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs). Both are partners in Changing the Export Game, a Blended Intensive Programme that Dokuz Eylül is preparing to welcome to İzmir.
Welcoming International Colleagues to İzmir
The faculty’s nineteenth International Week took place in 2026, bringing visiting academics into its classrooms and creating opportunities for colleagues to share teaching and develop relationships.
Why It Matters
Dokuz Eylül’s experience shows how international networks can work alongside one another to create practical opportunities. NIBS conferences have helped the faculty establish new agreements, while longstanding partnerships provide a foundation for shared teaching, mobility and projects with business clients.
Students can develop ideas for international competitions, work with peers across borders and learn from visiting academics. For colleagues, these activities turn institutional agreements into continuing collaboration.
Technological University Dublin, Ireland
Technological University Dublin’s relationship with NIBS shows how student competitions can become a lasting part of international business education. Across more than two decades, its students and staff have competed, coached and welcomed peers from around the world to Dublin.
A Record of Student Enterprise
TU Dublin and its predecessor, Dublin Institute of Technology, have won the NIBS Worldwide Business Plan Competition six times: in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2026. Recent teams also reached the podium in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The 2026 winners, SolHex, brought a new perspective to the competition. Four Product Design students developed Daylight, a modular wall-mounted system combining ambient lighting with behavioural science to support habits. They presented their business plan to an international judging panel and answered questions during the live online final.
Competing and Welcoming the World
TU Dublin has a similarly long connection with the NIBS Worldwide Case Competition. In 2018, a team representing Dublin Institute of Technology became the first Irish team to win the championship, following several earlier appearances in the semi-finals. The competition gave students an opportunity to analyse unfamiliar business problems, work together under time pressure and present their recommendations to an international audience.
The institution has also helped create that experience for others. Its Faculty of Business hosted the championship in Dublin in 2007 and again in 2024. The 2024 event welcomed more than 100 visitors from 15 countries for five days of case analysis, presentations and exchange. TU Dublin continued to make its mark in 2026, when student Shauna Toolan received a Best Individual Presenter award.
Why It Matters
What began with one case team has grown into a much wider relationship. TU Dublin describes the place NIBS now holds in its international work:
“TU Dublin’s NIBS journey started with a case team of four students, a single coach and an eye-opening experience over twenty-five years ago. Now NIBS is at the centre of our global engagement, with multiple university partnerships, mobility of staff and students in the hundreds, research connections, Erasmus+ funded projects, and research outputs and collaborations, all a key foundation to our activities and ambitions to be an internationally connected, agile business school.”
That growth has brought benefits on both sides of the relationship. TU Dublin students gain opportunities to test ideas, strengthen their judgement and communication, and learn alongside peers from other countries. By hosting the case championship as well as entering teams, TU Dublin has helped make those opportunities available across the NIBS network.
Its story illustrates the value of sustained participation: each new team builds on the experience of students and staff before it, while bringing fresh ideas to a global community.
Share Your Collaboration
NIBS members are continuously developing new forms of international partnership. If your institution has an example of collaboration within the network, we welcome the opportunity to showcase it.