Antwerp Management School: a new location and a focus on fashion in 2018

Students who are starting a master, executive programme or short course at the Antwerp Management School (AMS) in 2018 will be the first to do so at the new location of the school. The AMS has announced that they will move into the Boogkeers-building which previously belonged to the Openbare Centra voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn (Public Centres for Societal Well Being, OCMW), which is perfectly situated in the centre of Antwerp and borders the city´s fashion area. The new building location is no coincidence, as AMS´s president has revealed that the school will place a stronger emphasis on fashion in the coming years.

According to Katrien van Hecke, Director Strategic Projects at the AMS, it is clear that the school is already strongly connected to the fashion industry. “In collaboration with the Flanders District of Creativity (FDC) we have executed numerous research reports on the fashion sector. The presence of Anne Chapelle, whose company owns Belgian labels Ann Demeulemeester and Haider Ackerman, is also a sign that fashion and the creative industries in general are high on our agenda and will remain so,” explained Van Hecke. The school currently also offers a 10-day summer course in Fashion Management in collaboration with the Institut Français de la Mode.

AMS president Christian Leysen is very positive about the future plans for the school. “This is a great project for the city of Antwerp. Also, the move will really contribute to the city´s economic development,” said Leysen in an interview with Belgian newspaper De Standaard. Furthermore, he strives to make fashion a central topic at AMS. He has not yet disclosed any details on how this aspiration will be put into practice.

The AMS is currently housed in a building that belongs to the University of Antwerp. As the number of students has grown over recent years, the school board decided to look for alternative locations. As the OCMW moved part of their services to another building, the Boogkeers building became available. AMS, which has signed a right to the estate for 99 years, will invest 10 million euros (10,6 million dollars) in renovating the building.

AMS welcomes approximately 250 Master´s students, 250 executive Master´s students and 1.500 students participating in short courses per year. This year´s students represent over 30 nationalities, including China, the United States and Brazil. Examples of Master´s programmes include programmes in finance and human resource management.