From Mainland China to Europe and Canada to the US, HKUST students excel in international case and business competitions.With five first-quarter championship titles to celebrate, the year has taken off with a string of remarkable achievements.
Global in scope and tackling real-life challenges, demonstrating their knowledge, skills and resourcefulness on the global stage, our students took top honors in a number of prestigious international case competitions this spring. In the process, they were exposed to concepts and challenges that will augment their academic journey and future business careers.
The experience that counts
It started with the Global Business (GBUS) team that won the championship and the Best Presenter award at the USC Marshall International Case Competition, which highlights the strategic challenges and managerial dilemmas faced by global business leaders. The event, involving 20 teams from around the world, was held in the US in February. With training and experience from competing in five case competitions, the best presenter Stephanie CHOU said her team had been well-prepared for the USC competition. Strategically, Stephanie CHAN contributed to the teams’ cohesion and success through her passion and enthusiastic teamwork.
Inaugural champion
In a different competition, another team formed by four Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) undergraduate students claimed the top spot at the first International Business Analytics Case Competition in March, held in Montreal, Canada. Organized by the Institute for Data Valorization, the competition attracted a number of top schools that offer both undergraduate and graduate programs in business analytics and data science. The HKUST team progressed through the preliminary rounds, which began in January, by working intensively with data and applying different statistical models. Professor Ronald LAU, the team’s supervisor, says winning the title could not have come at a better time, when the School’s BBA in Operations Management Program is in the process of introducing a minor in business analytics for UG students at HKUST.
Success in Europe
In Spain, our MBA students were crowned the champions at the IESE Roland Berger International Case Competition. Team member Alexander IP credits the Enhancing Professional Skills course the team members took as part of the MBA Program for helping them to polish their presentation skills and in making succinct and persuasive strategic recommendations in a consulting environment. In addition to beating nine teams from top business schools to secure first place, each of the HKUST team members were offered internships at Roland Berger, a global strategy consulting firm.
The energy to win
Outperforming 12 other teams, including Yale, Duke, NYU, Columbia and the host team, another four MBA students took top honors at the inaugural Energy Case Competition organized by the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, in the US, in April. Sharing his formula for winning, Laurent YE advises leveraging all the resources within your reach and remembering the 5Ps: “proper planning prevents poor performance”.
Entrepreneurial innovation
Closer to home, another MBA team claimed the top spot in INNOVATEChina 2019, staged by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Held in Shanghai, the event attracted highly competitive teams from top business schools including Ross, HEC Paris, CEIBS and ESADE. The HKUST team impressed the judges with their innovative interpretation of this year’s competition theme, “Transcending Entrepreneurship”.