Ahmedabad University Wins Top Honour at Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2025

Recognised for Visionary Leadership and Reimagining Liberal Arts Education in India

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.

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.