Alumni Association recognizes IESE’s top research in 2025

Professors Enrique Ide, Eduard Talamàs, Mireia Las Heras, and Nuria Chinchilla have received the 2025 Research Excellence Awards, granted by the IESE Alumni Association. The awards ceremony took place yesterday as part of the Association’s annual governing board meeting, held simultaneously on the Barcelona and Madrid campuses.

The research recognized by the awards addresses key issues in today’s business environment, including the impact of artificial intelligence on the knowledge economy, the challenges of leadership and teamwork in demanding contexts, and the need to move toward more sustainable and inclusive economic models.

The awards were presented in three categories:

• Best article: “Artificial Intelligence in the Knowledge Economy,” by professors Enrique Ide and Eduard Talamàs.

The study analyzes how artificial intelligence is transforming the knowledge economy by automating complex tasks and redefining how organizations allocate work between people and AI systems.

• Best case: “Castellers: The Challenge of Touching the Sky + Interactive,” by professor Mireia Las Heras.

Through the Catalan tradition of castellers, the case explores key insights into leadership, teamwork, and talent management in high-demand environments.

• Best book: “Fundamentals of Human Ecology as a Paradigm for a More Sustainable Economy,” by professor Nuria Chinchilla.

The book proposes an approach to business that integrates economic performance with human and social dimensions, contributing to more sustainable models.

Annual board meeting

The awards ceremony took place during the Alumni Association’s annual board meeting, chaired by María Díaz-Morera, with the participation of Franz Heukamp, Dean of IESE. During the session, the Association presented its activity report and financial results for the 2024–2025 academic year, and reviewed its main strategic priorities going forward.

Regarding the Association’s activity over the past year:

• 199 sessions of the Alumni Learning Program were held, with 17,258 participants.
• The Career Coaching service recorded 840 sessions, with a satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5.
• As a new initiative, the Job Board platform was launched, now with 2,066 users, enhancing alumni professional visibility.

The alumni community -now exceeding 60,000 members from 157 nationalities- also contributed more than €1.3 million toward scholarships and research.