Founded in 1854 by Cardinal John Henry Newman, University College Dublin has, over the years, educated many influential people including writer James Joyce, Dr. Peter Sutherland, Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and former European Commissioner and Niall Fitzgerald, Chairman of Unilever In 1964, University College Dublin became the first college in Europe to offer the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA). In 1991, the graduate business school located to its own campus in Blackrock, Co. Dublin and was renamed The Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, UCD. Today, Smurftt School is a dynamic innovative business school based in Dublin, Europe's most energetic city.

Strong leadership is vital to the success of any international business, industry or institution and Smurfit School is positioned among the top business schools in Europe, graduating 1,000 potential business leaders each year. In October 2002 Smurfit School, UCD, was one of only nine schools worldwide to hold the three major international business school accreditations. The School has been awarded:

• AACSB accreditation from the US-based AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
• EQUIS accreditation from the Brussels based EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development)
• AMBA accreditation from the Association of MBA's.

The School has also been consistently ranked as one of the top twenty European business schools and as Ireland's premier business school by the Financial Times. This places Smurfit School as one of the world's best and most highly recognised international business schools, serving to position the School on the global map, and in the minds of leaders worldwide.

A Unique Blend of Business, Academia and the Diaspara

Faculty are the heart of a business school. With a compliment of over 80 full time faculty, Smurfit School is an authoritive voice on all matters relating to global business. Our history as an island nation hasensured that our faculty have extensive experience of advanced study, lecturing and consulting in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Our faculty are also specialists - eighty percent have earned a doctorate in a specialist area and reports of their research are common in international journals and at research conferences.

Smurfit School has a vision of business research and education as a blend of both theoretical excellence and international business is realised by virtue of alliances with international companies and a requirement that all of our MBA students must have significant business experience. Our Advisory Boards are based in both Ireland and North America. Under the leadership of Jerry Listen (former President and CEO of United Drug) and Thomas J Moran (President and CEO, Mutual of America). these boards represent a key interface between the School and international business.

Fifty distinguished leaders participate in these boards and ensure that leading business practices are quickly incorporated into our research and educational agenda. The Wall Street Journal review of leading Schools has highlighted as a key the balance that Smurfit School between theory and practice.

The Hatchery, an incubator unit for new business, is one manifestation of School's commitment to linking theory and practice. Using private venture capital and mentoring by successful entrepreneurs, recent graduates of the school are given opportunities to start new business ventures where the chances of success are maximised. This builds upon the existing entrepreneurial ethos of more than 10,000 graduates - graduates that have enjoyed success in leading their own businesses and in leading companies worldwide.

A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

Postgraduate programmes at Smurfit School offer the tools for success in an increasingly complex business world. The portfolio consists of