Global Impact Awards

Geographic Scope: Global - open to all AACSB member schools worldwide

AACSB's Global Impact Awards celebrate bold leaders and institutions creating meaningful change through business education. The inaugural 2026 program recognized 27 winners across multiple categories. Winners are announced annually in conjunction with the International Conference and Annual Meeting.

Support: The 2026 Global Impact Awards is supported by Risepoint.

Award Categories

Impactful Leadership

• Recognizes deans and heads of business schools redefining the future of business education through bold initiatives
• Focus: Strategic innovation, digital transformation, financial innovation, research culture, student engagement
• Self-nominations welcome

Teaching and Learning Excellence

• Integrating AI in Teaching and Learning: Celebrates schools transforming business education through creative and effective uses of AI
• Enhances learning outcomes and prepares students for the future of work

Excellence in Service: Community Leadership

• Honors individuals who served AACSB community in non-accreditation volunteer roles
• Recognition for guiding networking groups, leading task forces, serving as subject matter experts

Excellence in Service: Accreditation Volunteer

• Recognizes volunteers exemplifying excellence in AACSB's accreditation community
• Recognition for leadership, collegiality, knowledge, and impact in improving business school quality globally

Eligibility

Basic Requirements:

• School must be an AACSB member in good standing
• School does not need to be AACSB accredited to submit (but must be member)
• Specific award category criteria must be met

Impactful Leadership Award:

• Open to dean or equivalent leader (director, president, rector, or highest level of business school leadership)
• Self-nominations welcome

Individual Recognition Awards (Impactful Leader, Excellence in Service: Accreditation Volunteer, Excellence in Service: Community Leadership):

• Nominations on behalf of someone else are welcome
• Designate yourself as submitter and someone else as nominee

Collaboration:

• May submit school initiatives with partner organizations
• Business school's effort must be equivalent to or greater than partners' efforts
• Award goes only to submitting business school; partners indirectly recognized

Submission Limits:

• Each school limited to one submission per category

Awards Information

Number of Awards:

• More than one winner per category likely, exact number determined after submissions received

Recognition:

• Winners announced in digital media campaign and at 2026 International Conference and Annual Meeting
• Winners able to attend invited to recognition ceremony
• Winners featured in media campaign
• Winners' initiatives displayed in Analytics Hub

Timeline:

• Decisions communicated by January
• Official public announcement: April (with International Conference and Annual Meeting)

FAQs

Award Replacements: These awards replace the former Innovations That Inspire and Influential Leaders programs after 10 years. Past honorees still available for browsing.

Submission Details: Download blank PDF forms for each category from the award submission platform. Forms contain overview with guidelines and all requested information. Nomination must be made in online platform, not PDF.

How to Apply

1. Access the Platform
   • Go to: aacsb-global-impact.awardsplatform.com/
   • Log in with MyAACSB account credentials
2. Download Category Information
   • Upon login, download blank PDF form for each category
   • PDFs contain overview with guidelines and all information requested for that nomination
   • Note: PDFs are reference only; actual nomination must be made in online platform
3. Complete Nomination
   • Fill out nomination in the online platform (not in PDF)
   • For individual awards, you may designate yourself as submitter and someone else as nominee
   • You may also designate another primary contact other than yourself
4. Submit
   • Complete all required information per award category criteria
   • Submit by deadline

Submission Requirements

• One submission per school per category
• School must be AACSB member in good standing
• School does not need to be accredited
• Meet specific award category criteria
• Complete all information requested in category PDF form
• For collaborative initiatives, document that business school effort is equivalent to or greater than partners'

Important Notes

• Forms available in PDF format for reference but nomination must be completed in online platform
• Each category has specific eligibility and submission requirements
• Schools limited to one submission per category
• Collaborations allowed if school effort is primary focus