AMBA said the awards are designed to raise awareness of the excellence achieved by its schools, students and graduates. Chief executive, Andrew Main Wilson, thinks this year’s awards did just that.

“The standards of innovation across all our award categories are a credit to our industry and tonight we celebrate the very highest achievements in leadership, from both Business Schools and their eminent MBA students.”

AMBA also used the evening to inaugurate its new chairman, Bodo Schlegelmilch. He was dean of WU executive academy, at Vienna University of Economics and Business from 2004 until 2015 and remains professor of international management and marketing at the institution. 

The student of the year was awarded to Antoinette Catonia Mia Bailey from the University of Hong Kong Business School.

Judges selected Bailey for her proven track record in innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and social enterprise.

Bailey, who was an entrepreneur before she started her MBA program, has led multiple fundraising projects for social enterprises during her program. She is currently working on a technology platform.

An MBA graduate from Copenhagen Business School, founder and CEO of NINAYO.com, an online trading platform for agriculture in East Africa won the MBA Entrepreneurial Venture Award

Jack Langworthy said his platform allows small holder farmers to meet demand more efficiently. The mobile-friendly platform has over 22,000 active users and is providing access to over 16,000 tons of food.

AMBA said that past winners of the Student of the Year and Entrepreneurial Venture awards have been able to use the attention to build new networks and contacts and help them to grow professionally and as individuals.

“Tonight we celebrate the very highest achievements in leadership, from both Business Schools and their eminent MBA students”

The MBA Employer and Business School Partnership Award went to Donbasenergo Public Joint Stock Company and International Management Institute Business School. They have more than 10 years of cooperation.

Professor Iryna Tykhomyrova, MIM Business School president, said that the award confirmed the hard work of the partnership was worth it.

“We’re elated to receive this award because this is a confirmation of our partnership and it is a new step for us. This partnership is an enhancement of our school, and we share values in our activities.”

Mona School of Business and Management at the University of West Indies won the innovation award for its Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab – a virtual trading room that provides economic data and electronic trading.

The awards allow schools to develop relations and collaborations with other schools and employers as well as using the leverage from their award to attract new students and build their reputations, organisers added.