The transformation of a collection of colleges into a leading research-intensive university in India has won the top prize at this year¡¯s 51³Ô¹Ï Awards Asia.

³Ò³ÜÂá²¹°ù²¹³Ù¡¯²õ Ahmedabad University was named Leadership and Management Team of the Year at the ceremony held in the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macao on 22 April.

Judges recognised the ¡°decisive, bold and imaginative action¡± taken by senior leaders to?transform Ahmedabad from, in their own words, a ¡°routine above-average college hub¡± to a leading player in west India¡¯s research and innovation system.

¡°The approach adopted was clearly 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,¡± judges said.

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Teams from Hiroshima University in Japan took home two of the 10 awards given out on the night, being recognised in the International Strategy of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership categories.

Hong Kong-based institutions won two awards, with Ki Sum Samson Wong, an assistant lecturer at the University of Hong Kong, becoming the inaugural winner of the first category?introduced to honour an individual contribution,?Most Innovative Teacher of the Year. There were also winners from India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

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In total, after more than 500 entries, 80 finalists were shortlisted for the seventh annual awards, representing 16 different countries and territories and spanning the full range of university activity.

Chris Havergal, THE¡¯s editor, said the shortlisted entries spanned a ¡°dynamic and diverse continent¡± and represented an ¡°illuminating showcase of Asia¡¯s universities and how they are central to addressing major societal challenges across the region and around the globe¡±.

The ceremony closed the first day of the??that is taking place this week in Macao.

51³Ô¹Ï?Awards Asia 2025 winners

Leadership and Management Team of the Year
Ahmedabad University

International Strategy of the Year
Hiroshima University

Most Innovative Teacher of the Year
Ki Sum Samson Wong,?University of Hong Kong

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Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership
Hiroshima University

Outstanding Contribution to Regional Development
Hanyang University

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Outstanding Support for Students
National Taiwan University

Research Project of the Year: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Research Project of the Year: STEM
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)

Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year
Singapore Management University (SMU)

Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year
Chulalongkorn University

Learn more about the winners in our special publication

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