From Idea to Award: Global Research Awards 2026 Winners announced

The IPMA Global Research Awards Gala was held last night, on 16th April, within the 14th IPMA Research Conference in Bogota, Colombia.

The prestigious Research Awards were presented before an audience of 100 attendees. The Gala dinner was formally opened by Mr. Carlos Godfrey, ADIPRO president, Ms. Brigitte Baptiste, Rector of EAN University, and Professor Ding Ronngui, IPMA Vice President for Research and Publications.

Meet the winners:

IPMA Global Research Achievement Award: Martina Huemann, from Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria – recognized for lifetime contributions to project management research, academia, and practice.

IPMA Global Research Award Winner: Dr Xin Cheng, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China, with a research paper”Poverty alleviation without returning to poverty: China’s answer to sustainable project management”

Research team: Thriving Research Team, School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

Young Researcher Award Winner: Sara Perić– for “Model of Individual Competencies in Project-Oriented Public Sector Organizations” , University of Belgrade, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, Serbia

Graduate Research Award Winner: Ning Sun – for “Dynamic Value Creation over the Project Life Cycle: A Paradox Perspective”, University College London (UCL), United Kingdom,

Young Researcher Outstanding Contribution – Keyao (Eden) Li, from Edith Cowan University, Australia, with the research ”A Dynamic Skills Framework for the Future of Project Management in the Digital Era”

Graduate Research Outstanding Contribution:

• Wenqi Li, School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, China, with research ”Ethical Risks in Construction Project Management: Identification, Causes, and Governance”
  
• Luke Desmond, SKEMA Business School, USA, with a research paper”The integration of BIM and blockchain to support stakeholder transitions within the built environment”
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At the Gala, the IPMA Global Project Management Academic Excellence Recognition for 2026 was announced by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Obradovic, IPMA vice president Finance & Operations. The recipients of this prestigious recognition are:

• IPMA Global Distinguished Professor reward is  going to Mr. Qing Yang, a professor at the School of Economics and Management, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB)
• IPMA Distinguished Lecturer reward recipient is Tomislav Rastovski, University of Rijeka – Faculty of Civil Engineering & Algebra Bernays University

At the end of the Gala ceremony, IPMA president Malden Vukomanovic and IPMA Vice president Jose Reyes present the PMA Delta certificate to Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) from Bolivia, which recognizes their excellence at the organizational level.

Complementing the Gala, the IPMA Research Panel, will be held on 17th April, brings together a dynamic group of award recipients for a hybrid discussion. During this discussion, they shared key findings and engaged in a vibrant dialogue with fellow researchers and practitioners from around the world.

The 2026 Gala was yet another inspiring milestone, showcasing the dedication and innovation driving the IPMA community forward in advancing project management practices and research worldwide.

Congratulations to all winners of the IPMA Global Research Awards 2026, and heartfelt thanks to ADIPRO (IPMA Columbia) and EAN University for hosting the 14th IPMA Research Conference.