A century and counting: CBS celebrating its 100th birthday

Business school went from 168 students in its first year to over 22,000 today

Mar 22, 2017

1917 was one of the more eventful years in the annals of history. World War One was still in full swing, the Russian Revolution brought the Bolsheviks to power, Denmark sold the Danish West Indies to the US and Harry Houdini famously performed his buried alive escape act, to mention just a few.

And in Copenhagen, 168 students turned up as the doors opened for the first year to what would become Copenhagen Business School (CBS), one of Europe’s most prestigious business institutions, which today has over 22,000 students (including about 4,300 internationals).

“Since 1917, we have contributed with decisive research and educational competencies that have helped create and underpin the development of Danish society,” said Per Holten-Andersen, the president of CBS.

“Meanwhile, our international profile has become stronger and stronger. Such an anniversary shouldn’t pass by unnoticed, and that’s certainly not the plan either.”

A party … or three
Originally established by the Danish Society for the Advancement of Business Education, the school became integrated as an institution of higher education in the Danish education system in 1965.

Today, as one of northern Europe’s biggest and top business schools, CBS employs over 700 researchers and was recently ranked as the best school in the Nordic countries for business and management courses by the worldwide university rankings guide QS, and as the sixth best in Europe.

The school will be celebrating its anniversary with a number of events over the next few months, including a celebration for dignitaries (including the Crown Prince Couple) on Friday, a party for alumni at the CBS campus on May 19, and a summer party on June 10 for students, neighbours and friends.

Famous alumni include Novo Nordisk chief executive Lars Rebien Sørensen, former minister Ulla Tørnæs, acclaimed chef Claus Meyer, FCK footballer William Kvist, Olympic sailor Jonas Høgh-Christensen, LOC’s former wife Christiane Schaumburg-Müller and dictator’s son Hannibal Gadaffi.

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