ISM was established in
Kaunas in 1999 as the first privately owned institution of management education in
Lithuania. The main founders of ISM are the
BI Norwegian Business School and the Norwegian Industrial and Regional Development fund. The predecessor of ISM was the Business Training Centre, an executive training institution in
Lithuania.
Since 1995, when the Business Training Centre began, the intention was to contribute to the development of Lithuanian business community in providing up-to-date management knowledge. By offering executive courses, management training programs, market research, and personnel evaluation, BMC was recognized as an institution of management training and consulting in Lithuania. Now BMC is the training and consulting department at ISM.
Academics
There are six undergraduate and three graduate programs.
ISM is located in the old town of
Vilnius, the capital of
Lithuania. ISM resides in the former Vilnius Central Post Office in
Gediminas Avenue. The university moved to this building in 2023.
Quality accreditation
EDUNIVERSAL award
ISM has received an award from EDUNIVERSAL that placed ISM among the 300 top world business schools. It was granted four palms and, together with 200 business schools, was grouped under the second category “TOP Business Schools”. By this score ISM takes the leading position in Lithuania and ranks among the highest in Central and East Europe.[4]
International Quality Accreditation (IQA)
Awarded to ISM in 2006 by the Central and East European Management Development Association (CEEMAN).[5]
European Credit Transfer Label (ECTS label)
Accreditation by the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education
The group of international experts who carried out the accreditation of business and management study programmes at Lithuanian universities in 2005 accredited the business and management bachelor's and master's degree programmes of ISM University of Management and Economics without any additional conditions.
ISM ranks first in the Lithuanian higher education institutions rating
Lithuanian weekly Veidas has published a rating of higher education institutions compiled based on eight criteria: scientific and artistic activities of universities, the highest scores of academic staff and alumni activities, academic staff qualifications, the variety of fields of study, conditions for studies, a student survey, the labour market and the structure of financing. ISM University of Management and Economics collected 63.2 points out of 100, which was the highest score among private universities, and ranked second among all Lithuanian universities.[6]