Champions 2022
Teacher of the Year
Aurora Díaz Soloaga, MSM, teaches in Almaty Management University since 2016. With a wide experience in educational projects and NGOs of Italy, Spain, and Kazakhstan, she combines the involvement in social projects with the engagement in Academia. As a Senior lecturer at AlmaU she teaches Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility and Project Management. She has a wide range of experience as a mentor and has served as an advisor in educational institutions of Almaty, Kazakhstan (KBTU, Suleiman Demirel University, UIB). She is fluent in Spanish, English and Russian languages. Aurora also coordinates the work with PRME, Principles of Responsible Management in Education, a United Nations supported Initiative, in which AlmaU is engaged since 2007 as well as joint projects on sustainability with Lehigh University, USA. She drives research initiatives and acts as the Director of Center for the Development of Civil Society. Her scientific and research interest are business ethics and intangible assets in the organization. Member of bureau of directors of the Intercultural Space Irtysh, she is also official mentor and volunteer of Training Center Kumbel (vocational training at KFCSED) and she has been also mentor and jury of different social projects: Air Pollution project with GFSI-Lehigh, GlocalHack 2021, Enactus-Kazakhstan 2014-2017. She is the official representative of the Institute of Moral Leadership in Central Asia. • Read interview with Aurora
Responsible Management Educator of the Year
With over a decade of experience and a proven track record of success in academia, Dr. Frigerio is currently serving as a professor of international relations at Almaty Management University (AlmaU, Kazakhstan). He is the author of the book "Dystopian World" as well as several research papers on the international protection of cultural heritage, the critical analysis of contemporary global challenges, and the implementation of sustainability principles in various spheres. In addition to his research and teaching experience, he has also held leadership positions, including the role of Dean of the School of Politics and Law at AlmaU from 2020 to 2022. Throughout his professional life, he delivered seminars in a variety of nations around the world, including Croatia, Ecuador, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Finland, France, Poland, Slovenia, and Sweden. He also carried out training activities (UNDP, ENACTUS, FES Youth Leadership Programme, etc.) in the fields of scientific research, geopolitical analysis, managing cultural heritage, and personal development (visualization, effective communication, and creative effectuation). His educational background is in international relations (BA and MA) and the management and development of cultural heritage (Ph.D.). • Read interview with Alberto
Leader of the Year
Andreas Altmann was born in 1963 in Austria. He studied Business Administration and Economics at the Universities of Linz and Innsbruck and International Relations at the Johns Hopkins University, SAIS Bologna Center.
He received his doctoral degree in Business & Economics from the University of Innsbruck in 1993 and entered his academic career as a postdoctoral researcher first at the Department of Public Finance and later-on at the Department of Strategic Management at the University of Innsbruck.
There he got involved in building up a new school from scratch, now being known as MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®, under the umbrella of the University of Innsbruck, the region, its capital city as well as the regional chambers of industry, commerce and labor.
He became the founding Managing Director and later on also Rector and has successfully lead MCI to an internationally acknowledged autonomous university institution with meanwhile more than 3,500 students, 1,000 full-time, adjunct and part-time faculty, 300 partner universities and numerous successful alumni from around the world.
Andreas Altmann is also Honorary Professor at the University of Innsbruck and member of numerous prestigious boards in the academic, corporate and start-up world.
His research interest focuses on university management, regulation and governance including the competitive environment and market behavior in the higher education and research sector as well as the development and management of regions. • Read interview with Andreas