The ranking was established by SMBG, a consultancy that specialises in higher education and produces annual rankings of the top Masters, Advanced Masters, MBA and specialised courses. SMBG based this ranking on results from interviews with both graduates and recruiters. The results are validated by a committee, which includes a representative from the French government who is responsible for research. Three key criteria are retained for the ranking: reputation of the programme, salary following graduation and graduate satisfaction. Created 28 years ago as a joint venture between Cornell University and ESSEC, IMHI is now independent of Cornell and its 'MBA in International Hospitality Management' is exclusively run under the ESSEC name. Taught entirely in English, the programme has strong international content and is now considered as a European leader in the hotel management sector.