Riga Business School becomes Latvia’s first institution awarded 5 Eduniversal Palmes of Excellence

Riga Business School (RBS), part of Riga Technical University, has been upgraded to 5 Palmes of Excellence in the Eduniversal Official Selection of the Best Business Schools worldwide. It becomes the first institution in Latvia to join the league of Universal Business Schools with strong global influence.

Approved by the Eduniversal International Scientific Committee following an institutional reevaluation, the upgrade marks a significant milestone in RBS’s development and recognises its strengthened international standing.

Founded in 1991 through international cooperation, RBS has developed an educational identity that connects management, technology and leadership. Its new Palmes classification opens another chapter in that international journey.

Understanding Eduniversal’s Palmes of Excellence

Eduniversal’s Official Selection brings together leading business schools worldwide. Within this selection, institutions are classified into five Palmes of Excellence leagues, ranging from 1 to 5 Palmes, according to their international reputation, influence and reach.
5 Palmes of Excellence corresponds to the league of Universal Business Schools with strong global influence.

The framework also includes the 5 Palmes Emeritus League, reserved for institutions that have maintained their position in the 5 Palmes of Excellence league for at least ten years. This additional distinction recognises sustained excellence and longstanding global influence.

The International Scientific Committee awards the Palmes classification following a comprehensive institutional assessment. The evaluation considers several dimensions:
•    Institutional profile and resources, including academic strengths, strategic priorities, teaching resources and learning infrastructure;
•    International diversity, including international student enrolment and the nationalities represented;
•    Technology and educational innovation, including digital learning, emerging technologies, innovative teaching methods and interdisciplinary collaboration;
•    Graduate outcomes and alumni impact, including employability, graduate salaries, entrepreneurship and alumni contributions;
•    Research, including publications, citations and resources dedicated to research;
•    Social and environmental responsibility, including sustainability initiatives, inclusivity, social impact partnerships and community engagement;
•    External recognition, including accreditations and participation in international, regional and national rankings.
These elements are assessed in the context of each institution’s academic positioning, competitive environment and development priorities.

The Palmes classification and the annual ranking position serve distinct purposes. The classification identifies the institution’s league, while the Deans’ Vote, an international peer recommendation process, determines its annual position within its country and respective Palmes league.
RBS’s move from 4 to 5 Palmes therefore represents an upgrade in its institutional classification within Eduniversal’s Official Selection.

International roots since 1991

Riga Business School was established in 1991 within Riga Technical University, in cooperation with the University at Buffalo in the United States and the University of Ottawa in Canada.

This founding collaboration gave RBS an international orientation from the outset, connecting its Latvian academic environment with North American expertise in management education.

Today, international cooperation remains central to the School’s identity and its ambition to prepare leaders for a technology-driven world.

Bringing business and technology together

RBS’s place within Riga Technical University provides a setting for connecting management education with technological knowledge.
Its educational offering includes business administration, IT leadership, MBA programmes and executive education. Through its LIFT professional development platform, the School also addresses artificial intelligence, data, digitalisation, innovation and organisational development.
This combination reflects the growing need for leaders who can understand both business strategy and technological change, and translate that understanding into practical decisions.

The School’s engagement with industry also informs its development. Its Advisory Council brings together entrepreneurs, academics and education leaders from Latvia and abroad, supporting its strategic direction and its pursuit of international accreditation.

Advancing towards AACSB accreditation

In March 2026, RBS announced that its AACSB Eligibility Application had been approved, allowing the School to formally begin the initial accreditation process.
Eligibility approval is an important milestone. It enables an institution to proceed through the subsequent stages of assessment; it does not itself confer AACSB accreditation.

RBS’s progress towards AACSB accreditation and its new Eduniversal classification represent separate developments, each governed by its own evaluation framework.

Recognition ahead of the Eduniversal World Convention

RBS’s approved 5 Palmes of Excellence classification will be formally incorporated into the 19th edition of the Eduniversal Best Business Schools Ranking, scheduled for publication in November 2026. Until then, the existing ranking tables retain the previous classification.
The forthcoming Eduniversal World Convention, taking place in Biarritz, France, from 16 to 20 November 2026, will provide an international setting to celebrate institutional achievements and exchange perspectives on the future of business education.
Eduniversal warmly congratulates the leadership, faculty, students, alumni and wider Riga Business School community on this milestone.

What does RBS’s upgrade to 5 Palmes of Excellence mean?

It places RBS in Eduniversal’s league of Universal Business Schools with strong global influence. RBS is the first institution in Latvia to achieve this classification.

How does Eduniversal assess business schools?

The International Scientific Committee conducts a comprehensive assessment covering institutional resources, international diversity, educational innovation, technology, graduate outcomes, research, social and environmental responsibility, and external recognition. Each institution’s strengths and strategic positioning are considered in context.

What role does the Deans’ Vote play?

The Deans’ Vote determines the annual ranking position of institutions within their country and respective Palmes league through recommendations from academic peers.