Gordon Institute of Business Science


Gordon Institute of Business Science is a business school in South Africa and an affiliate of the University of Pretoria. It is located in the heart of Illovo, Johannesburg, close to the Sandton financial and commercial business hub. GIBS is accredited by the Council on Higher Education and internationally by Association of MBAs.
It is ranked as one of the best business schools in South Africa and the wider Africa, with flagship programmes that include the Masters in Business Administration, Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, Doctor of Business Administration. In 2012, the GIBS DBA became the first South African doctoral programme in business to receive international accreditation from AMBA. GIBS also offers various Executive Programmes: short courses, executive level programmes like the Global Executive Development & General Management Programmes, company-specific programmes. Extended Programmes are longer certificate programmes and include the Social Entrepreneurship Programme, Leading Women Programme and Nexus Leadership Programme.

History and campus

GIBS was established in January 2000 following a contribution by Sir Donald Gordon, the founder of Liberty Life and Liberty International, and a major investment by the University of Pretoria following discussions started in 1998. The business school follows on the university's Graduate School of Management's long tradition of MBA tuition. Founded in 1949, the GSM MBA was the first MBA programme to be launched outside of North America. The GSM as of January 2008 was formally replaced by the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
GIBS is situated in a greenfield campus in the Illovo Boulevard, mixed-use commercial node between the suburbs of Rosebank and Sandton in Johannesburg, with a satellite inner city campus on Pritchard Street. Accommodation is provided on the Illovo campus by the on campus Illovo Lodge. The Illovo campus is served by the Rosebank Gautrain station, with a nearby Gautrain bus stop and the inner city campus by the Johannesburg Park Station.
;Sir Donald Gordon
Sir Donald Gordon is a South African businessman and philanthropist. He was educated at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg before doing his articles to be a Chartered Accountant at the firm Kessel Feinstein. He founded the Liberty Life Association of Africa in 1957 out of which he formed Transatlantic Insurance Holdings plc, now Liberty International and Liberty Holdings Limited. He was a co-founder of British company Abbey Life. In June 2005, he was awarded a British knighthood in recognition of his services to arts and business.

Rankings

In 2011, an independent research survey by Magnet Communications of business school satisfaction levels among MBA students rated GIBS the top position in 7 out of 10 categories. In 2012, the Financial Times ranked the school 47 for Executive Education Open and 42 for Executive Education Customied, the highest in Africa. A 2011 PMR.Africa national survey of human resource directors/managers and line managers on accredited business schools gave GIBS a Diamond award and gave it the highest overall score in South Africa. Nick Binedell, the director of GIBS, won the Diamond Arrow Award for Individual in the Business School fraternity in South Africa doing most to enhance and develop the relevancy of business schools.
GIBS has consistently been ranked the top business school for executive education in Africa, as well as being placed in the top 50 in the world. In 2012 the Financial Times ranked the GIBS Executive MBA 1st in Africa and 60th in the world.
Financial Times World Ranking2007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Executive MBA----6760-------
Executive Education Customised49514138-42-------
Executive Education Open393849504947-------

;Affiliations and accreditations
GIBS is affiliated with South African Business Schools Association, African Association of Business Schools, European Academy of Business in Society and Principles for Responsible Management Education . GIBS is accredited by the Council on Higher Education and internationally by AMBA

Academics

In 2015, the school had 25 permanent faculty members, 23 adjunct faculty members, 11 international faculty members, 8 extraordinary professors and 1 honorary professor. Past and present faculty members include Gill Marcus and Nick Binedell.
Company-specific programmes clients includes Standard Bank, Anglo American PLC, Barclays Africa, SABMiller, United Nations Children's Fund and the South African National Treasury. The company-specific programmes have been delivered in 22 countries and include the certificates in Senior Management Development, Wealth Management, Middle Management Development Programme and Foundation Management Development Programme.