The history of BI Norwegian School of Management tells something about the character of the school. BI was founded in 1943 as a consultancy that offered evening classes in accounting. Since then the business school has grown into a fully-fledged, internationally recognized academic institution in the area of Business and Management. In size, BI has become one of the largest business school in Europe and the second largest academic institution in Norway. This is an amazing achievement for a private institution charging tuition fees in an egalitarian country like Norway where higher education is provided for by public universities. An achievement that could only be accomplished through constant innovation and by maintaining uncompromising high standards in research and teaching. BI is a strong player on the international arena as well: through its operations in China, Lithuania and Australia, through its exchange agreement with a more than 140 universities all over the world, and through its international programmes taught entirely in English in Norway. BI is inspired by the Scandinavian tradition of management. Scandinavia is perhaps the closest you can come to a postindustrial knowledge economy. Scandinavian companies are also the innovators of participatory management techniques and network forms of organization. BI adds its focus on ethics and corporate social responsibility to these qualities. BI has now taken the next step in its development. The school has moved to a brand new campus in Oslo. This campus is centrally located in an emerging and pulsating business area in Oslo. All the school’s international programmes are taught here. In short, BI Norwegian School of Management is innovative and maintains high standards in research and teaching. It is international, rooted in the Scandinavian tradition of management, and it is future-oriented. If these qualities appeal to you, I look forward to welcoming you to our school.
