Celebrating those at the pinnacle of business education: unveiling the shortlist for the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2025

Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative 2025

The Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative award has been introduced to recognise business schools and the work they have been doing to create, incorporate and develop culture, diversity and inclusion practices.  

The nominees are:

·       Business School, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics (YUFE) (China) for Minority Education Initiative: Minority Equity and Cultural Preservation

·       Cardiff Business School (Wales) for Becoming an Anti-racist Business School

·       Centrum PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) for InclusionPro

·       Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University (Bulgaria) for Academy “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”

·       Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB) (India) for Women in Leadership - #Balancingforbetter

·       Universidad Torcuato Di Tella Escuela de Negocios (Argentina) for Mujeres en Negocios (Women in Business)

Best Business School Partnership 2025

The Best Business School Partnership award recognises institutions that share AMBA & BGA’s passion for building networks and have adopted a proactive, innovative approach to strategic collaboration.

It is open to any business school that is working strategically and collaboratively with (for example) another school/group of schools, an employer, a consultant, education partner or technology provider, a social impact group, an individual, a charity, or other organisation.

The nominees are:

·       Aston Business School, Aston University (UK) with COB Rockets Basketball Club

·       Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics (Portugal) with Jerónimo Martins

·       Centrum PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) with Vidawasi Perú

·       Essex Business School, University of Essex (UK) with Six-Sided Dice

·       GITAM School of Business (India) with Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone

·       University of Edinburgh Business School (UK) with NatWest Group

Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative 2025

The Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative award honours AMBA & BGA schools that share our commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, and who are passionate about making a difference to communities and societies.

The award will recognise business schools that are taking the initiative in creating a sustainable future and teaching students about social values, as well as making a positive impact in practical and measurable ways.

The nominees are:

·       Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB) (India) for The Social Internship Project (SIP)

·       Gisma University of Applied Sciences (Germany) for NagaNectar startup in Norteast India

·       Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria) for Business Innovation Accelerator (BIA) Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (EAP)

·       POLIMI GSoM (Italy) for The "Amici di Emmaus and POLIMI GSoM Solidarity Partnership"

·       School of Management, Guangdong University of Technology (China) for Providing Fishing-Means for Rural Areas: Education Poverty Alleviation Program

·       University of Exeter Business School (UK) for The MBA Global Sustainability Challenge (GSC)

·       Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (China) for Compassionate Futures Nexus (CFN) 

Best lifelong learning Initiative 2025

The Best Lifelong Learning Initiative award recognises the efforts of AMBA & BGA schools that are reinventing teaching and learning among students, graduates, alumni networks and custom and executive education.  

The winning entries will showcase the impact and success these initiatives have had not only on students but also on the business school itself.  

The nominees are:

·       Kent Business School, University of Kent (UK) for Alumni Summer School

·       School of Business, Soochow University (China) for Lifelong Enhancement Programme

·       Gisma University of Applied Sciences (Germany) for Gisma Skills Sprint Week

Best Innovation Strategy 2025

The Best Innovation Strategy award honours a school’s achievement in pushing boundaries in terms of creativity in practice.

This prestigious award is a celebration of innovation and radical thinking in business education delivery across all areas of the business school and has been developed to recognise and reward game-changing new practices, risks and creativity around programmes on offer at business schools in the AMBA & BGA networks.  

It promotes the values of taking risks in pursuit of the new in a range of areas, such as teaching, learning, recruitment and alumni relations.

The nominees are:

·       Audencia Business School (France) for Audencia's Open Campus in Brazil

·       Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI) (Germany) for BOTSBI - BSBI's revolutionary innovation

·       EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) for Innovation Camp for Tackling Grand Challenges

·       Emlyon Business School (France) for "Prototype at the makers’ lab”

·       Lancaster University Management School (UK) for Cyber Security Executive MBA Programme (CEMBA)

·       UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Ireland) for UCD MBA LEAP (Leadership and Employability Advancement Programme)

Best Digital Transformation 2025

The Best Digital Transformation award is a great way to showcase your school’s journey to implementing new and world-class technology.

New for 2025, this award recognises schools that have pushed past the expected digital proficiency expected of a business school and developed or implemented a seamless digital experience.

This award has been developed to showcase digital change in any aspect of a business school’s day-to-day operations – for example, this could be in implementing new learning management systems, adopting new devices in the school, or digitising administrative processes. Initiatives might also be school-wide or instead relate to the implementation of a technology in one specific module or area.

·       Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI) (Germany)

·       NEOMA Business School (France)

·       Porto Business School, University of Porto (Portugal)

·       Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)

·       University of Bradford School of Management (UK)

·       Warwick Business School, University of Warwick (UK)

BGA Business School Impact Award 2025

The BGA Business School Impact Award is open to BGA member, validated and accredited schools that can demonstrate their impact on all stakeholders, alongside BGA’s vision and charter.  

This award is an excellent way to celebrate and reflect on the positive impact that a business school is exerting on students and graduates, communities and the economy as a whole.  

By validating how positive impact, continuous improvement and responsible management have enhanced the stakeholder experience, business school nominees here showcase how they are contributing to the betterment of society using both quantitative and qualitative analysis of activities, initiatives and/or programmes.   

The nominees are: 

·       Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK) for The menopause: translated. Training and support for women in the workplace to educate in all aspects of the menopause journey, to maintain performance and promote good health within and out with the workplace.

·       Beijing Technology and Business University (China) for Enhancing the Sales of Local Agriculture Products in Rural Area.

·       Centrum PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) for “Crecemos Juntos con Centrum”, “We grow together with Centrum”, in collaboration with Alicorp”

·       Indian Institute of Management Indore (India) for Anveshan (Centre of Excellence), IIM Indore

·       Indian Institute of Management Jammu (India) for Centre for Diversity and Inclusion

·       Suliman S Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut (Lebanon) for Women IN Data Science

Start-Up of the Year 2025

The Start-Up of the Year award celebrates the achievements of successful students and alumni in innovative world-class business strategy, but also showcases business schools that are nurturing a spirit of enterprise and ambition.

This award highlights the success of AMBA & BGA business schools that promote entrepreneurship in their cohorts. The award is also a chance for individuals to impress high-profile judges who are already at the forefront of global entrepreneurship.

The Start-up of the Year award is designed to encourage and promote the value of start-up business strategy and innovation, in the current competitive climate and to showcase its importance in the global market. 

The Start-up of the Year award is open to both private and public sectors, celebrating innovative business strategy and the process of taking something from idea to action.

The nominees are:

·       Charlie Greener, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK) for Theria Games

·       Norly Andía, Centrum PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) for Ozonoil Plus

·       Tuan Pham, Gisma University of Applied Sciences (Germany) for VertZero

·       Mohammad Ali Movahedi Mohasel Toosi, Leeds University Business School (UK) for InnoMinds

·       Heidemarie Haupt, POLIMI GSoM (Italy) for Poseidon HyPerEs

·       Gaj Panagoda, QUT Graduate School of Business, Queensland University of Technology (Australia) for Xstitch Health

·       Jennifer Longstaff, Escuela de Negocios, Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina) for Crony

·       Karl Baz, University of Bradford School of Management for Deep Blue

Entrepreneur of the Year 2025

The Entrepreneur of the Year award celebrates the achievements of successful alumni entrepreneurs, but also showcases business schools that are nurturing a spirit of enterprise and ambition.

This award highlights the success of business schools that promote entrepreneurship in their cohorts. It is also a chance for individuals to impress high-profile judges who are already at the forefront of global entrepreneurship.

The Entrepreneur of the Year award is one of the most distinguished awards in the industry. AMBA & BGA has developed the award to encourage and promote the value of entrepreneurship in the current competitive climate and to highlight its importance in the global market. 

The Entrepreneur of the Year award is open to both private and not-for-profit sectors. This award is designed to celebrate the impact made by growing organisations in terms of development and will look at an enterprise’s results and achievements. 

The nominees are:

·       Yanxiang Huang Arthur, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester (UK) for Carbon Newture

·       Kholofelo Hope Nengwenda, Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), University of Pretoria (South Africa) for Cartridge Depot

·       Marco Farina, POLIMI GSoM (Italy) for Logol AG

·       Dave Byrne, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Ireland) for ReaDI-watch

·       Leana de Beer, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (South Africa) for WaFunda

·       Tang Chaoping, School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) (China) for The Research Institute

Postgraduate Leadership Award 2025

The Postgraduate Leadership Award 2025 honours alumni from AMBA & BGA business schools who have been making an impact in the business world following their graduation.  

The award recognises the great work of these graduates through their achievements, performance and recognition.  

The nominees are:

·       Maryangel Garcia-Ramos Guadiana, EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)

·       Luo Pengfei, Hainan University International Business School (China)

·       Georgina Randsley de Moura, Kent Business School, University of Kent (UK)

·       Dheerendra Chauhan, Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria)

·       Joe Barrett, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Ireland)

·       Yun Shi, School of Management, Xiamen University (China)

AMBA Student of the Year Award 2025

The AMBA Student of the Year Award plays a pivotal role in supporting AMBA’s pledge to promote the MBA as the leading international business qualification.

The AMBA Student of the Year Award recognises students who have shown exceptional career potential and who AMBA believes can act as ambassadors for the high quality of accredited MBAs and the opportunities these programmes provide for students. 

This award doesn’t just recognise ‘straight-A’ students but also focuses on leadership potential and career progression.

The nominees are:

·       Aniza Nurfebriany, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK)

·       Wael Abdin, Cardiff Business School (Wales)

·       LIU Tengyuan, Business School, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (China)

·       Caroline Knott, Kent Business School, University of Kent (UK)

·       Robert Hoffman, QUT Graduate School of Business, Queensland University of Technology (Australia)

·       Miriam Vicent, Escuela de Negocios, Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina)

BGA Student of the Year Award 2025  

The BGA Student of the Year Award 2025 recognises students who have shown exceptional career potential and who BGA believes can act as ambassadors for the business school community. The students will be from a wide range of different personal and professional backgrounds and can be studying any business school degree programme.

This award doesn’t just recognise ‘straight-A’ students but also focuses on leadership potential and career progression.  

The nominees are: 

·       Jan Jasiński, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK)

·       Nadezhda Gabdullina, School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Almaty Management University (Kazakhstan)

·       Camilla Priuli, POLIMI GSoM (Italy)

·       Farida Sarhank, AUC School of Business, the American University in Cairo (Egypt)

·       Gerónimo Egidi, Escuela de Negocios, Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina)

·       Long Minyan, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (China)