Global Impact Awards

Submissions Now Closed

Submissions to the 2027 Global Impact Awards are now closed. The awards recognize excellence in leadership, research, societal impact, and teaching. Stay tuned for the public announcement of award selections in April.

Award Categories

Impactful Leadership

Building a Culture of Trust: This award recognizes deans who build organizational trust through transparent, accountable, and inclusive leadership that strengthens confidence, encourages open communication, and brings stakeholders together around shared goals.

Research Impact

Policy Influence: This award recognizes schools that build meaningful connections between researchers and policymakers, ensuring research addresses relevant questions, reaches the right audiences, and contributes to informed policy and societal impact.

Societal Impact

Expanding Educational Access: This award highlights schools that expand access to business education by removing barriers, reaching new learners, and creating innovative, flexible pathways that make educational opportunities available to more people.

Teaching and Learning Excellence

Cross-Disciplinary Innovation: This award celebrates schools that advance teaching and learning through meaningful collaboration with disciplines outside the business school to expand opportunities, leverage complementary knowledge and resources, address complex societal challenges, and respond to evolving market needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these awards replace Innovations That Inspire and Influential Leaders?

Yes. After 10 years of highlighting the cutting-edge initiatives of business schools and the impactful leadership of their alumni and faculty, AACSB has retired the Innovations That Inspire and Influential Leaders member spotlight programs. The past honorees are all still available for browsing. The Global Impact Awards retain the spirit of these programs while expanding into broader categories and creating even more opportunities for recognition.

Does my school have to be a member to submit?

Yes. The Global Impact Awards are open to all AACSB member schools in good standing. Submissions must also meet specific award category criteria.

Does my school have to be accredited to submit?

No. A school does not need to be accredited by AACSB to submit to the Global Impact Awards, but it must be an AACSB member in good standing and meet specific award category criteria.

Can I submit on behalf of someone else?

Yes. For the Impactful Leader award, which recognizes an individual, you may submit a nomination on behalf of someone. In the form, you can designate yourself as the submitter and someone else as the nominee. You can also designate a primary contact other than yourself. Please keep in mind that each school is limited to one submission per category.

Who is eligible for the Impactful Leadership award?

The Impactful Leadership award recognizes the dean or equivalent leader of a business school. Depending on the region and type of institution, this individual may also be referred to as a director, president, rector, or other title that indicates the highest level of leadership for the business school or institution.

Can I nominate myself for the Impactful Leadership award?

Yes. Self-nominations are welcome for the Impactful Leadership award.

Can I submit a school initiative that includes partners?

Yes. As long as the business school's effort is equivalent to or greater than the partners' efforts, you may base your submission on a collaborative project with other schools, institutions, or organizations. Please note, however, that if the submission is selected for the award, the award will only go to the business school making the submission. Any partners mentioned in the submission details will be indirectly recognized through the media campaign.

Are AACSB volunteers still recognized in the Global Impact Awards?

Yes. The Global Impact Awards will still include the two AACSB volunteer categories—Excellence in Service: Accreditation and Excellence in Service: Community Leadership. However, different from last year, these awards will be determined internally by the staff who work closest with AACSB's dedicated volunteer community.

How many submissions can my school make?

Each school can submit one entry per category, as long as they meet eligibility criteria.

How many awards per category will be given?

There will be multiple winners per category, and the exact number will be determined after all submissions are received.

What information do I need to provide?

Once you log in to the award submission platform (aacsb-global-impact.awardsplatform.com/), you will be able to download a blank PDF form for each category. These PDFs contain an overview with guidelines and all information requested for the submission. Please note that the PDFs are only for reference; the submission must be made in the online platform.

What is the deadline for submitting?

The deadline to submit to all categories is 6 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

How will winners be recognized?

Winners will be announced in a digital media campaign and at the 2027 International Conference and Meetings. Winners who are able to attend the conference will be invited to take part in a recognition ceremony. Additionally, all winners will receive a digital award and a framed certificate.

When will the winners be announced?

Decisions about all submissions will be communicated by January. The official public announcement of winners will take place in April, in conjunction with the 2027 International Conference and Annual Meeting.

I'm ready to submit! Where do I go?

We welcome your submission/s at aacsb-global-impact.awardsplatform.com/! Please follow the instructions for logging in with your MyAACSB account credentials.