“Each Future 50 honouree is driven by core project management principles. They have an insatiable desire to maximize value for their clients, stakeholders, or communities, while also paying close attention to sustainability and social responsibility,” writes the Project Management Insititute (PMI) on their website.
Associate Professor at the Department of Leadership and Organization Linzhuo Wang (photo: Alexander Eriksson / BI Norwegian Business School).
The accolade recognizes Linzhuo's dedication to transforming project management through actionable research that directly impacts global project practices, particularly in resilience and sustainability.
“When my research can generate impact or make a difference for fields facing significant carbon footprint challenges, it motivates me that my research can mean something," Linzhuo says.
Ensuring sustainability in mega projects
His recent projects emphasize the importance of resilience in large mega projects like Olympic games and extensive infrastructural developments which remain crucial to environmental and economic sustainability.
“Linzhuo’s recognition by PMI as one of the Future 50 is not only an honour for him but also for our school. His work embodies our commitment to combining academic rigour with practical relevance, especially concerning the urgent need for responsible project management with an eye on sustainability and stakeholder involvement,” says Head of the Department of Leadership and Organization at BI Thorvald Hærem.
Linzhuo has also been instrumental in bringing academic insights to a broader community through his involvement with the PMI Academic Insight Team, focusing on developing best practices for managing ESG mega projects effectively.
“ESG performance on mega projects is difficult. You have to develop your metrics, scales, and survey questionnaires to measure them. It's challenging, but inspiring that both academics and practitioners love the topics,” Linzhuo says.
He thanks his mentor and role model Professor Emeritus Ralf Müller from BI: “Ralf said, no matter the challenges, risks or crisis, you have to deliver. You have to make sure you have results in all of your projects.”
You can read more here: https://www.pmi.org/2024-future-50/linzhuo-wang