The “Student of the Year in Management and Economics” award is presented annually at the University of Innsbruck. Students enrolled in the Bachelor’s program in Economics—Management and Economics and the Bachelor’s program in International Economics and Business Studies are eligible to apply. The award requires not only outstanding academic achievement but also civic and social engagement. This year, the jury selected Laura Lentz from Luxembourg from among a large number of submissions.
Laura Lentz has been studying International Economics at the University of Innsbruck since 2023, where she has achieved excellent academic results. Last year, she spent a semester abroad at University College Dublin.
In addition to her studies, Laura Lentz has been serving as a Student Ambassador for the Aurora European University Alliance for the past two years, actively participating in international university collaborations. A field trip to Brussels and her participation in the Erasmus+ event “Generation for the Earth” in Rome deepened her awareness of climate protection and responsible economic management. In addition, she has been a board member of the Akademischer Börsenverein Innsbruck for over a year, where, as Head of Marketing, she is responsible for the association’s strategic communications. “Especially in times of global conflicts, growing uncertainty, and increasing polarization, we are seeing more and more individualization. This makes us all the more eager to recognize the award winner’s commitment to European cohesion and sustainable development,” said jury member Markus Walzl, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Statistics.
Die Preisträger:innen der Deans' List
This year, Daniel Huber, Moritz Rainer, and Valerio Zauchner were honored with recognition awards of 500 euros each. The winners were selected by a jury consisting of Dean Markus Walzl from the Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Dean of Studies Mike Peters from the Faculty of Business and Management, and Jan Zatocil from UniCredit Bank Austria, representing the Bank Austria Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research. “We are proud that, as part of our social commitment, we have been supporting students at the University of Innsbruck with this award for so many years. In our view, the award excellently combines regional and international perspectives, thereby reflecting our identity as a successful pan-European commercial bank,” says Dieter Hengl, Member of the Executive Board for Corporates at UniCredit Bank Austria.
“In addition to academic achievement, extracurricular involvement in social, cultural, economic, and athletic areas is also a very important criterion for us in awarding this prize. Solid social values, along with our international orientation and strong regional roots, are an important part of our corporate culture. We also prioritize these areas in Tyrol, and this award for students at the Faculty of Business and Management at the University of Innsbruck is a wonderful testament to that,” says Markus Sappl, Regional Director for Corporate Clients in Tyrol at UniCredit Bank Austria.