Ahmedabad University has been awarded Leadership and Management Team of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2025, its highest award at the prestigious annual ceremony held in Macao on April 22, 2025.
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The award recognises the transformation of Ahmedabad University into a leading research-intensive and innovative institution
In a higher education landscape often dominated by conventions, Ahmedabad University has charted its own path. Founded in 2009 through the incorporation of a group of colleges, the University set out to build a distinctive research university rooted in the values of liberal arts education, where interdisciplinarity, research thinking, and practice orientation shape every aspect of the academic experience.
That bold vision, backed by institutional courage and collective leadership, has now been recognised on one of Asia’s most respected academic stages.
More than 500 entries were submitted for the seventh edition of the awards, with 80 finalists shortlisted from 16 countries and territories. In Ahmedabad, the judges saw a university that had transformed itself into a leading player in India’s research and innovation system. They praised the University for taking “decisive, bold and imaginative action” and described its transformation as “a result of leadership working together to achieve transformational change in the space of a few years, to the benefit of the university and its local and national context.”
“Ahmedabad University has dared to reimagine the classroom and the future of education with a deep sense of purpose anchored in the continuous progress of self and society. It’s a testimony to collective action and a single-minded pursuit of excellence,” said Professor Pankaj Chandra, Vice Chancellor.
The transformation at Ahmedabad, a State Private University in Gujarat, has been systemic and deliberate. Key decisions included increasing faculty appointments to improve the student-to-faculty ratio significantly. The University also implemented major reforms to support research by investing in major equipment and laboratories, increasing internal research funding, and establishing a six-year tenure system (followed globally but by just a handful of top institutions in India) in pursuit of research excellence. This led to attracting and retain top academic talent from around the world.
These academic reforms were matched with a strong commitment to equity and access, with focused efforts to improve student diversity by giving special weight to applicants from disadvantaged and vernacular language backgrounds. Need-blind admission became a strong philosophical positioning for the University. Faculty and student autonomy were expanded through participatory governance, while a bold reimagining of physical infrastructure led to the creation of a sustainable, inclusive campus.
Ahmedabad University’s pedagogy blends academic rigour with societal relevance. Signature academic initiatives such as the Foundation Programme (its common core for all programmes), Independent Study Period, and a flexible, open curriculum across schools are designed to prepare students not just for careers, but for thoughtful, impactful lives. Its students regularly get admission to the top institutions globally, undertake startups, and join some of the best Indian companies.
This honour builds on previous recognitions, including being named a Highly Commended University for Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year at THE Awards Asia 2023, winning the AACSB Innovations That Inspire Award for its Foundation Programme, and earning a 5-Star Rating in the Gujarat State Institutional Rating Framework (GSIRF) 2023-24. Gujarat Government recognised Ahmedabad as a Centre of Excellence, a recognition given to seven institutions of Gujarat.
This award is not merely a milestone. It is a marker of belief – in building institutions for purpose and lasting impact.
About Ahmedabad University
Ahmedabad University is a leading private, non-profit research university offering students a liberal education focused on interdisciplinary learning, practice orientation, and research thinking.
The University has been
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Recognised by the Government of Gujarat as a Centre of Excellence.
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Accredited with A grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
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Awarded a 5-star rating, the highest awarded in the Gujarat State Institutional Rating Framework (GSIRF) for 2021-22 and 2023-24, by the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), Department of Education, Government of Gujarat.
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Awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Award for Excellence 2024 for our University Centre.
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Awarded a Platinum Rating by the Indian Green Building Council for sustainability and green practices.
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Recognised by the UGC under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, becoming one of the very few private research universities to have been awarded this recognition for select research universities.
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Recognised as a Highly Commended University for Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia 2023.
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Awarded the AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire Award 2023 for its Foundation Programme.
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Awarded Gold Rating by the Indian Green Building Council for achieving the Green Building Standards at our University Centre.
The University, established in 2009, is rooted in the vision of one of India’s finest educational foundations, the Ahmedabad Education Society, which was founded in 1935 by nationalist leaders. Programmes at the University range from bachelors to doctoral levels in humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and management through its 13 Schools and Centres:
Amrut Mody School of Management | Bagchi School of Public Health | School of Arts and Sciences | School of Engineering and Applied Science | Ahmedabad Design Lab | Centre for Heritage Management | Centre for Inter-Asian Research | Centre for Learning Futures | Global Centre for Environment and Energy | International Centre for Space and Cosmology | Sahyog: Centre for Promoting Health | The Climate Institute | VentureStudio
An urban university, Ahmedabad promotes independent-mindedness and diversity across all dimensions of its activity and helps students mature into critical thinkers who are analytically equipped, practically oriented, and contextually aware global citizens. The University provides a contemporary educational framework that brings liberal arts, sciences, and the professions to engage together in creating new knowledge for addressing complex challenges of the society and in offering majors that merge the boundaries of disciplines to prepare students for the new economy.
