With 2023 rapidly coming to a close, we are looking back at some of UCL School of Management’s incredible achievements of the past year and are celebrating the tremendous hard work of our staff, students and alumni.
While it was difficult to select only a few, we have compiled a list of our favourite highlights from 2023. We are incredibly grateful for our fantastic UCLSoM community, and look forward to seeing all that you achieve in 2024!
Ukrainian ambassador launches new ucl school of management lecture series
In September, UCL School of Management launched The Next Generation of Entrepreneurs for Ukraine Lecture Series, designed to support aspiring or existing Ukrainian entrepreneurs in transforming their idea into a viable business venture that will support the economic recovery of Ukraine following the outbreak of war last year.
To launch the Series, UCL School of Management hosted a Launch Event on Level 50 of One Canada Square, welcoming distinguished guests from both UCL and the Ukrainian community in London to explore the role of entrepreneurship in rebuilding Ukraine. To discuss this important topic, His Excellency, Vadym Prystaiko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, engaged in a conversation with Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) in which they discussed the changing entrepreneurial landscape in Ukraine since the war.
UCL school of management hosts first-ever entrepreneurship summer school
In August, UCL School of Management welcomed 27 postgraduate students from Singapore Management University for the first-ever Entrepreneurship Summer School. Organised and facilitated by the School’s Entrepreneurship team, with support from MSc Entrepreneurship alumni and current students, the one-week visit covered 8 academic sessions, including a panel discussion from London-based entrepreneurs who discussed the benefits and challenges of working within the city’s entrepreneurial space.
Throughout the week, the group visited Level39 of One Canada Square, where they were joined by Director of L39 Amy French and CEO and Co-Founder of WyzePay, Ian Rae. They also enjoyed a tour of the Google HQ in London by Head of Google Accelerator, Noa Havazelet, who also provided an insightful overview of Europe’s start-up ecosystem.
angela aristidou appointed as a digital fellow at stanford university’s digital economy lab
Earlier this year, UCL School of Management Assistant Professor Angela Aristidou was appointed a Digital Fellow at Stanford University’s Digital Economy Lab (DEL). The DEL at Standford’s Institute for Human-centred AI Centre is conducting research on the impact of the digital economy to advance the collective understanding so that policymakers, students, and professionals can navigate the challenges and opportunities created by the digital economy.
In this role, Angela will leverage her expertise and provide a global perspective that complement and align with other DEL and HAI initiatives. This contribution will facilitate the creation of new networks, partnerships in academia and industry, and discussions around policy. Moreover, Angela will maintain her leadership in the UKRI FLF programme, all while actively engaging with Stanford’s faculty and students and participating in research, policy and industry engagement activities.
bsc information management for business host first-ever alumni summer reunion
In June, UCL School of Management hosted the first-ever BSc Information Management for Business (IMB) Alumni Summer Reunion at our home on Level 50. We were joined by colleagues from across UCL, as well as IMB alumni from a range of year groups who are now pursuing careers in myriad industries. With over 110 guests attending the event, we had alumni representatives from every IMB cohort since the programme’s first graduating cohort in 2010, and were evern joined by alumni who had flown in from Portugal and Malaysia.
Discussing the event, Programme Director Maya Cara said, ‘What a fantastic IMB Alumni Reunion Event! From genius entrepreneurs to amazing industry leaders, we had it all! The energy was off the charts. We (re)connected with alumni, current students and UCL staff. The IMB network is an unstoppable force’.
joshua becker named poets&quants best 40-under-40 business school professors
Earlier this year, we were thrilled to announce that Associate Professor Joshua Becker was named one of the world’s best 40-Under-40 Business School Professors by Poets&Quants. Joshua’s main reserach focuses on collective intelligence, tackling some of the most daunting challenges facing our planet, such as climate change or healthcare design.
Joshua marks the fourth UCL School of Management faculty member to be featured in the Poets&Quants 4–Under-40 list, with Chia-Jung Tsay, Blaine Landis and Yiting Deng all featuring in previous years.
Three school of management alumni featured in forbes 30-under-30
In 2023, three UCL School of Management alumni were named in Forbes’ annual 30-Under-30 lists. In February, BSc Management Science alumni Udit Singhal was named in Forbes India’s 30-Under-30 list in recognition of his work founding the zero-waste initiative Glass2Sand. Just 21 years old at the time of publication, Udit was the youngest to be named in the cohort and hopes that his organisation will continue to play a part in tackling the world’s many environmental issues.
In addition, BSc Information Management for Business alumna Elizabeth Dlha was named in Forbes Slovakia’s 30-Under-30 list thanks to her work in the tech start-up industry. With a background in consulting, Elizabeth has made significant contributions as a founding member at Deepnote and as Business Development Manager at Notion. Finally, Marta Gasik, also an IMB alumna, was named in Forbes Poland’s 30-Under-30 in recognition of her incredible achievemnts within the world of tech. Marta has played a vital role in the implementation of major projects, such as the company’s cloud strategy in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region - an investment worth $1 billion.
UCL school of management was shortlisted for an amba excellence award
In September, we received the fantastic news that UCL School of Management has been shortlisted for an AMBA Excellence Award! Our submission - ‘UCL MBA Labs’ - has been listed in the Best Lifelong Learning Initiative category.
Thanks to the dedication of UCL MBA staff and students, we submitted three applications in July, and we’re delighted to have made it to the shortlist in the Best Lifelong Learning Initiative category.
UCL school of management faculty members partner with cherie blair foundation to support one million women entrepreneurs
UCL School of Management faculty Clarissa Cortland, Felix Danbold and Chia Jung-Tsay are partnering with the Cherie Blair Foundation to support one million women entrepreneurs by 2030. At the 2023 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), The Cherie Blair foundation announced a new project to enable one million women in low and middle income countries to start, grow and sustain successful businesses.
With this pledge comes a need to better understand the experience of women entrepreneurs across the globe. While women’s participation in entrepreneurship is growing, those from low and middle income countries remain underrepresented. There are multiple contributing factors to this, such as a lack of financial support, access to resources and a comprehensive understanding of their experiences navigating the entrepreneurial landscape.
ucl school of management hosts inaugural sustaintech pitching competition
During the summer, UCL School of Management hosted the inaugural Pitch Day of the UCLSoM SustainTech Pitching Competition on Level 50 of One Canada Square. In collaboration with SustainTech consulting company Tecno International, the competition supports pioneering individuals with fresh ideas that are looking to champion a resilient and sustainable future.
On the day, our finalists pitched their ground-breaking startup ideas to a panel of experts, including Micol Chiesa Churchill, Partner and Head of Impact at Planet Fund, and Julie Blane, Co-Founder of Sustainable Women’s Network. Other jury members included Salvatore Amitrano, Managing Director of Tecno International and Professor Paolo Taticchi, Professor in Strategy and Sustainability at UCL School of Management.
BioBright took home the prize for Best Pitch after impressing the judges with their innovative algae solutions. Sahel AI won the Best Idea Award, with their startup aiming to accelerate sustainable and responsible AI adoption in Africa. Finally, Phyta Biodesign won the audience over with their modular panel system known as ‘Apia’. Each winning team receiver a £1,000 cash prize, 12 months of Business and Technical Mentorship, and introductions to Tecno International’s business partners.
ucl school of management phd student shivaang sharma collaborates with united nations on aid project
Throughout 2023, UCL School of Management PhD student Shivaang Sharma has collaborated with a number of United Nations bodies, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Volunteers, in order to support and expedite the delivery of aid materials to the ongoing conflicts in Sudan and Gaza.
During an eight-month period, Shivaang coordinated Human-AI teams to trace and predict conflict evolution, as well as conduct needs of assessments of vulnerable social groups. In Sudan alone, Shivaang’s research estimates that there are over 20 million displaced people in urgent need of medical and social aid. He is due to make appearances at Cornell University, Imperial College London, Cambridge University and the University of Alberta in 2024 to present his findings and conduct workshops.
UKRI PRoject secures £2 million in funding in collaboration between ucl school of management and university of exeter
UCL School of Management Lecturer Deyu Ming, in collaboration with the University of Exeter and UCL Department of Mathematics, successfully secured a £2million funding earlier this year from the UKRI’s AI4NetZero research grant to develop AI-enhanced tree-planting decision support tools for Net Zero until April 2025.
In this project, Deyu will lead a work package focused on developing innovative AI techniques, which will contribute to the UK’s Net Zero goals through woodland expansion, together with the University of Exeter, UCL Department of Mathematics, and project partners including Defra, National Trust, MoD, Forestry England, Network Rail, and more. This funding, coupled with an additional £1m matching fund, will help UCL School of Management make meaningful strides towards a more sustainable future, aligning with the School’s visions and efforts on environment and sustainability.
