With the end of the year fast approaching, we are looking back at some of UCL School of Management’s incredible achievements from the past year and are celebrating the brilliance of our staff, students and alumni.
This year, UCL School of Management has accomplished many things, from achieving its AACSB accreditation after years of hard work, to leading the way in sustainable conversations and impact. We have seen UCL continue to be ranked in the global top 10, for the 14th consecutive year, as well as the publication of several books by our leading academics.
We would like to take this time to thank all of our brilliant staff from across the School for their tremendous hard work and accomplishments this year! We look forward to seeing all that you achieve in 2026.
UCL School of Management earns prestigious AACSB accreditation
In July this year, UCL School of Management was officially awarded accreditation by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), after a meticulous peer-reviewed process spanning several years, reflecting the School’s commitment to continuous advancement at the intersection between business, science, and the humanities.
The esteemed accreditation is awarded to institutions that meet rigorous standards in teaching, research, and societal impact. It places the School alongside the top six percent of business schools globally, who are also accredited by AACSB.
Deputy Director, Nina Seppala, who led on the accreditation process said:
“This milestone reflects the dedication and collaborative spirit of our entire community—faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners. It reinforces our mission to shape the future of business and society through cutting-edge research and education.”
UCL ranked in the global top 10 for 14th consecutive year
UCL marked its 14th consecutive year in the global top 10 of QS World University Rankings, back in June.
QS is the world’s most-consulted international ranking and uses a number of indicators to compile the rankings, including academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty-to-student ratio, international faculty ratio and international student ratio.
This year’s rankings assessed more than 1,500 institutions around the world with more than 100 locations represented globally. UCL’s position in the rankings cements its exceptional reputation among both academics and employers and, in both categories, UCL ranks within the top 5% of assessed institutions.
Davide Ravasi speaks at Global Deans’ Forum in Beijing
May saw UCL School of Management Director and Professor Davide Ravasi travel to Beijing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management and the 5th anniversary of the School’s Future Leaders programme. Davide joined a number of global academic leaders at the event, where he was also invited to speak as a panellist on the Global Deans’ Forum.
The forum addressed larger organisational and societal concerns surrounding artificial intelligence and the ways in which business education can remain relevant and lead the global talent of the future. The panel discussion also featured Fabrizio Hochschild-Drummond, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General.
UCL Centre for Sustainable Business commended by Financial Times
2025 began positively, with the UCL Centre for Sustainable Business commended by the Financial Times, as part of their Responsible Business Education Awards, for advancing impact investment strategies in their IMmPACT research report.
The IMmPACT research project – “Guidelines for Participatory Impact Measurement and Management”—addresses power imbalances in decision-making that influence the dynamics of impact projects. The guidelines introduce a multi-stakeholder decision-making framework, advocating for a systemic, transparent and participatory approach to impact measurement and management.
Upon receiving the commendation, Professor Paolo Taticchi said, “we are proud that our research has been recognised by the Financial Times Responsible Business Education Awards.
“This highlights the growing importance of structured and participatory impact measurement in financial decision-making. Through the newly launched UCL Centre for Sustainable Business, we remain committed to shaping best practices that enable investors to drive measurable, positive change while achieving financial returns.”
Paulo and Melina publish How to Be Sustainable
March 2025 saw the publication of Professor Paolo Taticchi’s book How to Be Sustainable: Business Strategies for Leading Change, co-authored by School of Management, Researcher and Consultant Melina Corvaglia-Charrey.
How to Be Sustainable is a positioned as a practical guide for senior leaders, CSOs and board-level professionals who look to lead with purpose and deliver measurable change.
Published by Konan Page, Paolo and Melina’s book collates a wide range of interviews with Chief Sustainability Officers from global organisations including Enel Group, Microsoft, Canon and Sage. It explores what sets high-impact sustainability strategies apart and how others can close the gap.
In November How to Be Sustainable was the winner of the Goody Business Book Award for the Environment category.
Professor Martin Kilduff inducted to prestigious post
June was a busy month for the School, with Martin Kilduff, Deputy Director of Research and Head of the Organisations and Innovation Group being elected to the Academy of Management (AoM) Fellows Group.
Martin’s induction to the esteemed community reflects his significant contribution to the science and practice of management research. In addition to their focus on recognising AoM members, the Fellows Group also coordinates an annual meeting to outline upcoming activities that will support the intellectual leadership of the field of management.
Leading researchers from around the world gathered at UCL School of Management from 20-22 June for the annual Society of Organisational Behaviour Conference, marking the first time that the Group had met in Europe.
UCL School of Management hosts landmark finance conference
UCL School of Management also hosted another “first” for a different international research group’s conference. In July, the Finance Theory Group (FTG) held its flagship Summer Conference 2025 in the UK for the very first time at UCL School of Management’s Canary Wharf campus.
The FTG is the world’s leading learned society in the field of finance theory – a discipline that uses economic first principles to explore big questions in finance through formal modelling.
President of the FTG, Professor Nadya Malenko of the Carroll School of Management, Boston College, praised the School of Management’s hosting of the event as a “great success”, stressing the high scientific quality, the audience diversity and the impeccable organisation.
Colin Fisher publishes The Collective Edge
It was an exciting September for Associate Professor, Colin Fisher, who’s book The Collective Edge was published in the UK by Simon & Schuster and by Penguin Random House in the US
The Collective Edge explores the power and potential of cooperation and group dynamics. From creative teams and political movements to dinner table conversations, Colin distils decades of research into practical strategies to help groups thrive.
To mark the launch of The Collective Edge, we sat down with Colin to talk about the inspiration behind the book, key take aways for professionals and what’s next for Colin.
The impact of UCL School of Management Research
2025 has been a great year for research at the School of Management, particularly when considering its real-world impact, from the sustainability potential for SMEs to tackling global food waste; from measuring technological and strategic solutions in disaster situations to the hidden harm of workplace gender stereotypes, the School’s researchers have been at the forefront of solutions to global challenges.
In October, a compelling personal story published by an entrepreneur and CEO recounts how running her global communications consultancy helped her cope with the trauma of a rare eye cancer diagnosis and life-changing surgery. In her reflections she cites findings from the Founder Resilience Research Report, led by Christina Richardson, founder of Foundology and Associate Professor at the UCL School of Management.
Read more about our research highlights here
