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University of Bradford School of Management graduate Sonya Bachra-Byrne wins prestigious AMBA Student of the Year Award 2024 in the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards

Sonya Bachra-Byrne, a graduate from the University of Bradford School of Management, has won the coveted AMBA Student of the Year Award 2024.

The AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2024 were held on January 19, 2024 at the exceptional Park Plaza London Riverbank. The Awards brought together leading lights from the global business education community to celebrate excellence and commend achievement among business schools, MBA students and graduates, suppliers and employers.

The ceremony was attended by more than 200 business school leaders, as well as category finalists, judges and members of the media.

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.

Sonya Bachra-Byrne epitomises academic excellence. Attaining the highest average programme mark of 83.27% and winning the prestigious Paul Donovan Prize for Academic Excellence, scoring an impressive 90% for her Management Project.

However, Sonya’s impact reaches beyond academia; her commitment to fostering a collaborative, vibrant, and inclusive environment within the MBA and Management School has united multiple cohorts during challenging times. Through mentorship and initiating the inaugural MBA Summit, she has strengthened relationships between alumni and current students. Selflessly leveraging her high-profile industry network, she generously contributes to the MBA programme’s success while running a multi-award-winning sustainable start-up business.

Sonya Bachra-Byrne, commented, “I am deeply honoured and thrilled to have been awarded the AMBA Student of the Year 2024! The entire awards evening was filled with a warm and convivial atmosphere, making the announcement of the award feel surreal and truly unexpected—I was left utterly speechless! This recognition reinforces the profound impact of education as a catalyst for personal and collective transformation on multiple levels, extending beyond academic accomplishments. It underscores the pivotal roles of leadership, collaboration, and the creation of a vibrant and inclusive community, which, for me, has been a monumental experience.

“This award has fundamentally elevated my personal and professional development, sharpening my entrepreneurial abilities and equipping our startup business with the skills needed to compete on the international stage. As Paulo Freire astutely noted, ‘Education does not change the world. Education changes people. People change the world.’ I deeply believe in the transformative power of education, and winning this award reinforces the value of accredited MBAs in shaping the future leaders of the business world.

“I am committed to continuing my journey of contributing to the success of the MBA program, building meaningful connections, and making a positive and significant impact in both academia and the business world. This accolade serves as a powerful motivation for me to strive for excellence and to be a dedicated ambassador for the exceptional opportunities that accredited MBAs offer. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the University of Bradford School of Management, my invaluable business mentors, and the entire AMBA community for their overwhelming support.

“To those considering an MBA journey, I would wholeheartedly encourage you—it has the potential to truly change your life!”

Professor Sankar Sivarajah, Dean of the School of Management, said: “Sonya is an inspiration for current and future MBA students. She wants to make a difference in the world and she understands the power of education. She is a great ambassador for Bradford and our MBA programmes.”

Andrew Main Wilson, Chief Executive of the Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association (AMBA & BGA) said: “On behalf of the AMBA and BGA team, I would like to congratulate the finalists and winners of this year’s Excellence Awards.

“This year, the competition was stronger than ever. The entries who have made the final shortlist in each category should feel proud of their achievements.

“Additionally, the students and graduates who have been shortlisted as finalists today have all used their qualifications to achieve a spectrum of impressive results, in terms of the positive impact they have made to business, education and society as a whole.

“It was thrilling to be able to celebrate the AMBA network’s achievements at this glamorous Gala Dinner – in particular its been amazing to celebrate exceptional innovations and successes in the higher management education industry.

“I also want to take the opportunity to thank our partners, Kortext, Canvas by Instructure, Cesim Business Simulations, Perlego and BlueSky Education. Their support for our awards – and the business education sector – is greatly appreciated.”

ENDS

For more information or interviews, please contact:

  • Ellen Buchan, Insight, Content & PR Manager, AMBA & BGA – buchan@associationofmbas.com

Awards selection process:

The finalists were shortlisted by AMBA & BGA’s senior management team. A panel of judges then reviewed the shortlisted entries, selecting a winner and a highly commended entry for each award. Our judging panel is made up of AMBA board members, business experts, deans and management leaders.

All of our judges were selected based on their experience and qualifications.

The winners and highly commended entries can be seen here.

Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative 2024, in association with BlueSky Education

Winner

  • ESADE Business School (Spain) for MBA elective: racial (in)justice

Highly commended

  • Centrum Católica, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru) for Mujer, que tu negocio crezca más (Woman, may your business grow more)
  • SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) for People with disabilities and employment: beyond the barriers

Best Business School Partnership Award 2024, in association with Perlego

Winner

  • Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham (UK) with Deloitte

Highly commended

  • Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK) with Common Mission Project
  • Monash Business School, Monash University (Australia) with Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals

Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative 2024, in association with Cesim Business Simulations

Winner

  • EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) for Social impact strategy and EGADE action week

Highly commended

  • 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
  • Shantou University Business School (China) for Rural revitalisation programme

Best Lifelong Learning Initiative 2024, in association with Canvas by Instructure

Winner

  • UCL School of Management, University College London (UK) for UCL MBA labs

Best Innovation Strategy Award 2024, in association with Kortext

Winner

  • Manchester Metropolitan University Business School (UK) for Innovation in employability – a strengths approach to personal and professional development

Highly commended

  • Woxsen University (India) for Financial literacy workshop for underprivileged youth

BGA Business School Impact Award 2024

Winner

  • ESLSCA University (Egypt) for ESLSCA’s MBA governmental programme: transforming government public officials into change catalysts

Highly commended

  • Indian Institute of Management Indore (India) for IIM Indoreʼs horticulture cell
  • 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

Winner

  • Puneet Saini, University of Canterbury Business School (New Zealand) for Script Sense

Highly commended

  • 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

Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2024

Winner

  • Gaetano Lapenta, POLIMI Graduate School of Management (Italy) for Fybra

Highly commended

  • Alexandra Mendoza, Universidad del Norte (Colombia) for Liquitech
  • 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

Winner

  • Lorna Conn, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Ireland)

Highly commended

  • Alex Athanassoulas, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow (UK)
  • Ayodeji Balogun, Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria)

AMBA Student of the Year Award 2024

Winner

  • Sonya Bachra-Byrne, University of Bradford School of Management (UK)

Highly commended

  • Aditi Singh Bais, Indian Institute of Management Indore (India)
  • Elizabeth Woods, Cranfield School of Management (UK)
  • James Boyce, The Open University Business School (UK)

BGA Student of the Year Award 2024

Winner

  • May Al-Amir, ESLSCA University (Egypt)
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