About the School

The IEDC–Bled School of Management, founded in 1986 as the first business school of its type in Central and Eastern Europe, is one of the leading international management development institutions in Europe. 

IEDC-Bled School of Management 

Leading International Management Development Institution in Europe

At Glance

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IEDC-Bled School of Management is a pioneer in providing an innovative approach in leadership development, an innovative approach which encourages business leaders to take on new, and more creative ways in meeting their challenges.

Vision

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IEDC’s vision is to be:

  • Center of excellence in general management and leadership development
  • Creative environment for creative leadership
  • One of the best small, but innovative business schools in the world
  • Meeting place for leaders, with particular focus on emerging economies

Mission

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The mission of IEDC, as an agent of change and a learning partner, is to attract the most promising executives and top managers, provide them with world class management education and other relevant services in a truly international context, inspire them for life-long-learning and prepare them to act and add value as competent and responsible transformational leaders in their organizations and society at large.

IEDC strives for education with IMPACT!

History

Only the best is good enough

(Danica Purg)

1986

Establishment of “Executive Training Centre” in Brdo

1987

Launch of the General Management Program (GMP)

1991

Launch of the International Executive MBA

1993

Business Ethics in the curriculum – one of the first schools in the world

1996

Peter Drucker speaks at
the 10th IEDC Anniversary

1998

Introducing “Art & Leadership”

1999

IEDC receives CEEMAN International
Quality Accreditation (IQA)

2000

New location: moving from Brdo to Bled, new name: IEDC-Bled School of Management

2002

IEDC-Bled School of Management, Postgraduate Studies is awarded the status
of a higher educational institution

2005

IEDC receives AMBA (Association of MBAs) accreditation for all three MBA programs at IEDC

2010

IEDC-Bled School of Management, Postgraduate Studies launches its first PhD program IEDC establishes Chair of Sustainable Development; the Chair becomes the Coca-Cola Chair of Sustainable Development

2016

Institute of Sustainability and Ethics

2018

World Institute for Sustainability and Ethics(WISE),together with Cologne Business School, University of Stellenbosch and Zhejiang University School of Management, China

IEDC Team Development Institute

2019

IEDC establishes a NLB Chair in Change Management

2020

Launch of DBA - Doctor of Business Administration at IEDC - Bled School of Management.

2021

IEDC – Bled School of Management was listed 23rd place in the WURI "World's Universities with Real Impact" in Entrepreneurial spirit (among TOP 50), on 36th place in Ethical value (among TOP 50) and 34th place in Crisis Management (among TOP 50) and 72nd place among the WURI "World's Universities with Real Impact" (TOP 100).

2022

IEDC establishes Tokić Chair of Creativity and Innovation

2023

In 2023, IEDC together with ROCHE Slovenia, established Bled Institute for Leadership in Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (BILDAI).  BILDAI is focused on developing new educational programs, research projects and international partnerships. The Institute's core mission includes assessing the impact of AI on various sectors, prioritizing research for AI integration, and providing guidance on ethical considerations and regulatory compliance for the use of AI.

IEDC-Bled School of Management believes in ethical and socially responsible leadership which can be promoted through learning from art, science, sport and other different professions, drawing parallels around them and making people reflect. IEDC has integrated a Business Ethics component into all its longer management programs more than twenty years ago. As an additional innovation, sustainable development was added to the curriculum ten years ago. Over the last decade, IEDC has pioneered work on the incorporation of the arts and artistic processes into management education. The school itself was designed and built as an art gallery and is conceived as a place where managers come not only to learn but also to become inspired. IEDC has also incorporated Art and Leadership as part of its Executive MBA course which is one of the first of its kind in the world. During eight full days of the curriculum, artists from different artistic disciplines work with the participants to help them reflect on business phenomena as well as on all other aspects of leadership.

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100.000 executives

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100  countries 

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17 Alumni Clubs

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60 faculty members & world experts

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100% faculty with international experience

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> 1000 years of joint faculty experience

The IEDC–Bled School of Management is an award-winning school.

  • In 1999, IEDC was one of the first two business schools in the world to be awarded the CEEMAN International Quality Accreditation (IQA).
  • In 2001, Prof. Danica Purg, IEDC President, was awarded Honorary Order of Freedom” for her contribution to management development in Slovenia and CEE by the President of the Republic of Slovenia and the British magazine Business Horizons called her a guru in management education.
  • In 2005, IEDC received the international accreditation from the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
  • In 2009, IEDC was the only institution from Central and Eastern Europe to be named among the 100 top business schools worldwide in the Aspen Institute’s Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking, for having demonstrated significant leadership in integrating social, environmental and ethical issues into its MBA program.  
  • In 2010, Prof. Danica Purg, IEDC President, was named International Educator of the Year by the Academy of International Business (AIB), for her outstanding achievements in international business education.
  • In 2010, Prof. Danica Purg, IEDC President, was named International Educator of the Year by the Academy of International Business (AIB), for her outstanding achievements in international business education.
  • In 2011, IEDC was awarded the Golden Order for Services by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, for its pioneering work in the field of business education in Slovenia and CEE and for its contribution to putting forward high business standards by teaching good practices and sharing new expert innovative knowledge.
  • In 2012, the Executive MBA Program of IEDC–Bled School of Management was recognized by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) as one of the four most innovative MBA programs in the world, among 700 business schools in the world. The IEDC–Bled School of Management won that recognition for innovation in combining the arts with leadership and management education. 
  • In 2013, Prof. Danica Purg, IEDC President, became the Chair of the UN Global Compact PRME (Principles of Responsible Management Education) Steering Committee, bringing together nearly 500 business schools and universities from 80 countries.
  • In 2014, Prof. Purg, IEDC President, was conferred upon the highest attribute in management, the Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of management by the Managers’ Association of Slovenia.  A special chapter about her leadership journey was published in 2016 in the book Women and Leadership Around the World by Information Age Publishing, USA, authored by Susan Madsen.
  • In 2016, IEDC won the AMBA Milestone Award, which is given annually for recognising the on-going success of accredited business schools worldwide by The Association of MBAs (AMBA), the international authority on postgraduate business education, established in 1967.
  • IEDC-Bled School of Management is one of the 23 UN PRME Champion in the world and the only one in CEE.  
  • In 2018, World Institute for Sustainability and Ethics(WISE),together with Cologne Business School, University of Stellenbosch and Zhejiang University School of Management, China

Latest IEDC Self-evaluation Report

Download SAR 2022

Accreditations of the School