Celebrating excellence in business education: unveiling the shortlist for the AMBA & BGA Excellence Awards 2027

Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative 2027

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:

· Centrum PUCP Business School for Training Programme “Red Plateada de Emprendedores” (Silver Network of Entrepreneurs).

· International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University for From International Students to Global Market Contributors: An Inclusive Talent Pipeline for Chinese Companies Going Global

· Manchester Metropolitan University Business School for GoGlobal: Inclusive Internationalisation for Every Student

· Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin for Making Executive Educational Possible for Everyone: A example of true Access and Inclusion

· University of Bath School of Management for Global Early-Career Accelerator for Representation (GEAR)

· POLIMI School of Management for Parenthood as a Catalyst for Inclusion: Parent LAB and Kids Camp

Best Business School Partnership 2027

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:

· Keele Business School with Hixon Group

· Indian Institute of Management Indore with Indore Police Commissionerate & Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Indore, India

· Bucharest Business School, Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE) with The World Bank; Ernst & Young (EY) Romania; Asociația pentru Valori în Educație (AVE Romania)

· School of Business Administration - Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics with New York Institute of Technology, NYIT, USA

· Henley Business School, University of Reading with Lincoln Mali Leadership Foundation

· IMD Business School with Lombard Odier Foundation, HifHub Danish Red Cross and World Economic Forum

Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative 2027

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:

· Almaty Management University, School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative

· Business School of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics for The G.R.E.E.N: three-Dimensional Social Practice Programme

· ESADE Business School for The ROOTS Project — Building Community Capacity for Mangrove Restoration and Climate Resilience in The Gambia

· ESCA Ecole De Management for Beyond the Classroom: Teaching ESG through Global Climate Action

· Goa Institute of Management for Service Learning and Rural Immersion

· UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin for The MSc in Project Management “Hot Topics” module

Best Lifelong Learning Initiative 2027

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:

· Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London for Bayes Alumni Career Development Series

· Bucharest Business School, Bucharest University of Economic Studies for Board Leadership Program

· School of Business Administration - Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics for The Alumni Empowerment Program of SBA, JUFE

· Universidad Torcuato Di Tella Escuela de Negocios for MBA Alumni Communities

· University of Bradford School of Management  for Bradford for MBA Lifelong Learning Ecosystem: Connecting Learning Across the MBA Lifecycle

· Vilnius University Business School for Vilnius University Business School Entrepreneurship Clinic

Best Innovation Strategy 2027

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:

· Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow for Creating the Ecological Business School

· Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London for Career Impact

· GEM Alpine Business School for Educational Journey (60 20 20)

· Tetr College of Business for Best Innovation Strategy

· Universidad Europea de Madrid for UEM-Google AI 2026 Challenge

· Universidad Torcuato Di Tella Escuela de Negocios for Inspire up

Best Digital Transformation 2027

The Best Digital Transformation award showcases a school’s journey to implementing new and world-class technology.

New for 2026, 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.

It 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.

The nominees are:

· Sheffield University Management School for Digital Transformation of The Intelligent Organisation Module - Inspired by Industry 4.0 and 5.0

· Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria for GIBS Online PDBA: Accessible, AI-Integrated Digital Transformation of Postgraduate Business Education

· Strathmore Business School for StrathConnect: A Coaching, Mentoring & Business Advisory Platform

· Centrum PUCP Business School for OPD: Balancing Operational Efficiency and Human Well-Being through AI-Driven Scheduling

· Shantou University Business School for Digital Intelligence Pan-Ecosystem Transformation Initiative

· Universidad de San Andrés for Built In-House by the People We Taught

BGA Business School Impact Award 2027

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 celebrates and reflects 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 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:

· BSBI School of Business and Innovation for BSBI Open Access Case-Study Alliance on Sustainability and Responsible Management

· London School of Business & Finance for Access Without Borders: Building Inclusive Global Learning Communities

· GITAM School of Business for GSB Impact Studio: Innovation for Inclusive Growth

· Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya for IIM Bodh Gaya: Enlightening Minds, Empowering Communities

· School of Economics and Management, Dongguan University of Technology for Responsible HR in Practice

· POLIMI School of Management for EcoCraft Challenge

Start-Up of the Year 2027

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. 

It is open to both the private and public sector and celebrates innovative business strategy and the process of taking something from idea to action.

The nominees are:

· Ali Jradeh from Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut for Khazzin

· Suebsakul Tonjang and Thomas Minnock from Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester for ChewChew UK Ltd

· Barbara da Camara Santos Marinho from UCL Global Business School for Health for Medfellow

· Dia Goel from Masters' Union for HOOKd

· Augusto da Costa Franco from Porto Business School for Sigma Easy Charge

· Johann Rodríguez from Universidad de San Andrés for Puenteo

Entrepreneur of the Year 2027

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.

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

The nominees are:

· Seyi Samuel Ebenezer  from Lagos Business School - Pan Atlantic University  for Payaza Africa Limited

· Rafic Farra from Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut for Walleti

· Clara Gonçalves from Católica Porto Business School for Inductiva.AI

· Mert Orhan Astam from Maastricht University School of Business and Economics for HaptonTech

· Iván Ramos Tomillero from EAE Business School for POLAR NanoPharma

· Marcela Santiago Rizo from Universidad del Norte, Escuela de Negocios for TumiPay 

· XU Laipeng from Zhejiang University of Technology School of Management (ZJUT) for TowellTech

Postgraduate Leadership 2027

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 great work of these graduates through their achievements, performance and recognition.  

The nominees are:

· Virginia Teehan from Cork University Business School (CUBS)

· Silvan Flury from ZHAW School of Management and Law

· Naveen Pandey from Indian Institute of Management Indore

· Francesca Secondari from Onsi Sawiris School of Business

· Marta Rodrigues Cordeiro e Cunha from Porto Business School

· Walter Spiers from Adam Smith Business School

AMBA Student of the Year 2027

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 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:

· Kim O'Mahony from Cork University Business School (CUBS) 

· Théophile Hakizimana from Paris School of Business 

· Mayur Gupta from Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester   

· Aishwarya Nair from Aston Business School, Aston University                 

· Alberto Costa from Porto Business School

· Miriam Soledad Frias from Universidad de San Andrés                 

BGA Student of the Year 2027

The BGA Student of the Year award 2026 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:

· Adam Shahid Kalsekar from Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Business School

· Ignacio Aracena from Universidad de San Andrés          

· Alikhan Imanberdiyev from Almaty Management University, School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation           

· Aryaman Gurha from Indian Institute of Management Jammu 

· Kakani Sri Pravallika from Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya

· Toni Stinn from POLIMI School of Management                

AMBA MBA Director of the Year 2027

The AMBA MBA Director of the Year award is central to upholding AMBA’s commitment to maintaining the MBA degree as the premier global business qualification. It celebrates Programme Directors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and management of their MBA programmes, enabling their institutions to deliver truly transformative experiences that create meaningful opportunities for all participants.

The nominees are:

· Lucy Hatt from Newcastle University Business School                 

· Luis Marques from Católica Porto Business School      

· Richard Hodgett from Leeds University Business School            

· Sandra Richez from EDHEC Business School  

· Maria do Rosário Moreira from Porto Business School

· Daniel Serrot from Universidad de San Andrés