Celebrating excellence in business education: unveiling the finalists for the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2024
Discover which business schools, students, graduates and leaders have made the shortlist in all 11 categories of the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2024.
It’s time to reveal the finalists for the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2024.
Across 11 categories, the awards celebrate excellence among business schools, students, graduates, suppliers and employers who share AMBA & BGA’s values of ambition, impact and integrity.
The nominees in each category are detailed below.
The winners of the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2024 will be announced at the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards and Gala Dinner. This glittering evening event will be held on Friday 19 January 2024 at the Park Plaza London Riverbank, in the heart of London.
Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative 2024
The Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative 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:
- Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI) (Germany) for BSBI multicultural day and BSBI league – culture, learning, fun and awareness
- Business School, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics (China) for Culture, diversity and inclusion initiative
- Centrum Católica, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) for Mujer, que tu negocio crezca más (Woman, may your business grow more)
- ESADE Business School (Spain) for MBA elective: racial (in)justice
- SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) for People with disabilities and employment: beyond the barriers
- Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (China) for Centre for female leadership and student career development
Best Business School Partnership Award 2024
The Best Business School Partnership Award recognises business schools that share AMBA & BGA’s passion for building networks and have adopted a proactive and innovative approach to strategic collaboration.
It is open to any business school that is working strategically and collaboratively with another school/group of schools; an employer; consultant; education partner or technology provider; social impact group; individual; charity; or other organisation.
The nominees are:
- Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK) with Common Mission Project
- Arden University (UK) with Roots IVY International College
- Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham (UK) with Deloitte
- Monash Business School, Monash University (Australia) with Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals
- School of Business Administration, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics (China) with Jiangxi Lidu Liquor Industry Co.
- UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Ireland) with Howard University School of Business, Washington DC
Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative 2024
The Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative will honour 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 those who are making a positive impact in practical and measurable ways.
The nominees are:
- EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) for Social impact strategy and EGADE action week
- ESLSCA University (Egypt) for Low vision and blindness diploma: revolutionising the lives of visually impaired individuals
- Mannheim Business School (Germany) and ESSEC Business School (France) for LESPRIT – Lebanon solar power and light project
- POLIMI Graduate School of Management (Italy) for Innova Europe 2023
- School of Management, Guangdong University of Technology (China) for Education goes with responsibility to create a three-dimensional poverty alleviation system
- Shantou University Business School (China) for Rural revitalisation programme
Best Lifelong Learning Initiative 2024 – in association with Canvas by Instructure
The Best Lifelong Learning Initiative is designed to recognise 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 to students but also to the business school.
The nominees are:
- Berlin School of Business and Innovation (Germany) for Blend of lifelong initiatives
- UCL School of Management, University College London (UK) for UCL MBA labs
- University of Auckland Business School (New Zealand) for Five in five for 50
Best Innovation Strategy Award 2024 – in association with Kortext
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 a business school’s operations and has been developed to recognise and reward game-changing new practices, risks and creativity.
It promotes the values of taking risks in pursuit of the new in different areas, including teaching, learning, recruitment and alumni relations.
The nominees are:
- Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK) for Futures in leadership
- EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) for Web-based application for the development of leadership competences
- Manchester Metropolitan University Business School (UK) for Innovation in employability – a strengths approach to personal and professional development
- Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde (UK) for Global practitioner initiative
- Thammasat Business School, Thammasat University (Thailand) for Ready senior project
- Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina) for Healthcare MBA programme
- Universidad Torcuato Di Tella Escuela de Negocios (Argentina) for Elective MBA course: leadership and lessons from the mountains
- Woxsen University (India) for Financial literacy workshop for underprivileged youth
BGA Business School Impact Award 2024
The BGA Business School Impact Award is a celebration of business schools’ positive impact on all their stakeholders – from students and graduates to communities and the economy as a whole – in line with BGA’s vision and charter.
It is designed to showcase how business schools are contributing to the betterment of society using both quantitative and qualitative analysis of activities, initiatives and/or programmes.
The nominees are:
- EAE Business School (Spain) for Top 10 female entrepreneurs in Catalonia
- ESLSCA University (Egypt) for ESLSCA’s MBA governmental programme: transforming government public officials into change catalysts
- Goa Institute of Management (India) for Goa Institute of Management responsibility initiatives
- Indian Institute of Management Indore (India) for IIM Indoreʼs horticulture cell
- Paris School of Business (France) for Apprenticeships for all
- School of Economics and Management, Dongguan University of Technology (China) for Smart against fraud and the old friends academy
Start-Up of the Year Award 2024
The Start-Up of the Year Award celebrates the achievements of successful students and alumni that have launched their own businesses. It aims to encourage and promote the value of new business innovation and potential in the current competitive climate.
It also highlights business schools that are nurturing a spirit of enterprise and ambition in their cohorts.
The nominees are:
- Aly Mohamed, The American University in Cairo School of Business (Egypt) for Seavo
- Christopher Wight, IE Business School (Spain) for Nūxsen
- Georges Acar, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick (UK) for Inquizyt
- Marita Sanchez de la Cerda, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Ireland) for SAIZ
- Pierre Bourles, Audencia Business School (France) for La Miellerie D’Alre
- Puneet Saini, University of Canterbury Business School (New Zealand) for Script Sense
Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2024
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award celebrates the achievements of successful alumni in entrepreneurial business innovation and strategy. It is designed to recognise the impact made by growing organisations in terms of its development, results and achievements.
It also highlights business schools that are promoting entrepreneurship in their cohorts effectively and promotes its importance in the global market.
The nominees are:
- Alexandra Mendoza, Universidad del Norte (Colombia) for Liquitech
- Armel Le Blanc, Audencia Business School (France) for Keranum
- Gaetano Lapenta, POLIMI Graduate School of Management (Italy) for Fybra
- Hongtao Gai, The Business School of Harbin Institute of Technology (China) for Shenzhen Ausa Pharmaceutical Co.
- Joydeep Pal, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester (UK) for Foodinjoy
- Matt Stevenson-Dodd, Nottingham University Business School (UK) for Trust Impact
- Trai Sasatavadhana, Chulalongkorn Business School, Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) for Tasted Better
Postgraduate Leadership Award 2024
The Postgraduate Leadership Award honours alumni from AMBA & BGA business schools who have been making an impact in the business world following their graduation.
The award recognises the inspirational work of these graduates through their achievements, performance and recognition.
The nominees are:
- Alex Athanassoulas, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK)
- Ayodeji Balogun, Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria)
- Daniel D’Araujo Pires Neto Vaz, University of Leicester School of Business (UK)
- Efstathia Papathanasi, Kent Business School, University of Kent (UK)
- Huawen He, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (China)
- Lorna Conn, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Ireland)
AMBA Student of the Year Award 2024
The AMBA Student of the Year Award plays a pivotal role in supporting AMBA’s pledge to support the MBA degree’s status 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:
- Aditi Singh Bais, Indian Institute of Management Indore (India)
- Elizabeth Woods, Cranfield School of Management (UK)
- Sonya Bachra-Byrne, University of Bradford School of Management (UK)
- James Boyce, The Open University Business School (UK)
- Kateryna Halkina, University of Exeter Business School (UK)
- Stephanie Mbuga, Audencia Business School (France)
BGA Student of the Year Award 2024
The BGA Student of the Year Award recognises students who have shown exceptional career potential and who BGA believes can act as ambassadors for the global business school community.This award doesn’t just recognise ‘straight-A’ students but also focuses on leadership potential and career progression for students of any business education degree programme. Shortlisted students therefore represent a wide range of different personal and professional backgrounds.
The nominees are:
- Khanh An Nguyen Hoang, Faculty of Economics, Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary)
- Mario Rimini, London School of Business and Finance (UK)
- May Al-Amir, ESLSCA University (Egypt)