Organized by the HKUST Business School, the HKUST International Case Competition (HKICC) 2025 has concluded successfully at the HKUST campus, advancing international student engagement and sparking innovative thinking among future business leaders. University of New South Wales triumphed over 15 teams from top global business schools to claim the championship. Chulalongkorn University and Ateneo de Manila University were named the second runner-up and third runner-up respectively, while The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) took the Outstanding Business Concept Award with their groundbreaking ideas.
Supported for the third year by HSBC, HKICC stands as Asia’s premier platform for cultivating business talent. By encouraging innovative approaches to pressing business issues and showcasing cross-cultural perspectives, the annual competition equips undergraduate teams from leading business schools worldwide to apply their skills in real-world scenarios, while expanding their horizons and global mindset.
During the week-long contest, 16 teams from universities in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Netherlands, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, and USA, competed in a mini case competition and a main case competition. Both challenges required them to formulate actionable strategies to address pressing business cases centered on the application of AI in fraud detection within the banking sector.
Prof. HUI Kai‐Lung, Acting Dean of the HKUST Business School, said, “At the HKUST Business School, we are committed to cultivating learning beyond the classroom. HKICC, our flagship event, advances this mission by bringing together top teams from business schools worldwide to solve complex business challenges in a competitive setting. We extend our heartfelt thanks to HSBC for their continued support as both sponsor and case company. With their generous partnership, the contest remains a vibrant platform for strengthening participants’ business acumen and fostering cultural exchange."
Mr. David GRIMME, Chief Operating Officer, Asia and Middle East, HSBC, said, “At HSBC, we are dedicated to fostering innovation and supporting the next generation of talent. For the past three years, we have partnered with the HKUST Business School for the International Case Competition (HKICC) 2025 to provide a platform where participating students can tackle real-world challenges through creativity, strategic thinking, and collaboration. We congratulate this year’s winners and participants on their remarkable achievements and look forward to their continued success in driving meaningful change.”
A highlight of this year’s enrichment program was a fireside chat with HSBC senior executives on leadership and career aspirations, which brought contest participants to HSBC’s headquarters for a thought-provoking exchange at the heart of Hong Kong’s financial district. The students and their advisors also took part in a city excursion to experience the city’s rich cultural heritage.
“The fireside chat was a great opportunity to connect and share practical career development insights directly with the students. I was impressed by the students’ thoughtful questions and enthusiasm, reflecting their potential to lead the future of the financial industry. I am confident that these young leaders will make a lasting impact in shaping the future of business,” said Mr. Grimme.
Ms. Hritika GHOSH, undergraduate student from the University of New South Wales and a member of the champion team, said, “Working on a real-world case of AI-driven fraud detection at a major bank has deepened our understanding of evolving industry challenges and encouraged future-oriented thinking. The judges’ comments underscored the significance of customer impact, prompting us to rethink about delivering customer value, while strengthening our ability to convey key messages effectively to senior executives.”
Distinguished business leaders including Ms. Carly MACIC, Head of Data and Analytics Asia and Middle East for Corporate and Institutional Banking, HSBC, Mr. James GLEESON, Chief Procurement Officer – Asia and Middle East, HSBC, Mr. Vikram SARMA, Asia and Middle East Finance Head of Execution, HSBC, Dr. Crystal FOK, Director of AI Applications, AISC Project Team, Cyberport, and Ms. Honnus CHEUNG, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, On-us, served as panel judges at the final round, selecting the winners for this keen competition.
List of award winners:
Champion: University of New South Wales
First Runner-up: Chulalongkorn University
Second Runner-up: Ateneo de Manila University
Outstanding Business Concept Award: HKUST
Best Presenter Award: Manas GUPTA, University of New South Wales
List of Participating Teams of HKICC 2025
Asia Pacific
- Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
- Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
- National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Thammasat University, Thailand
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HKSAR, China
- The University of Sydney, Australia
- University of Auckland, New Zealand
- University of New South Wales, Australia
Europe
- Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary
- Maastricht University, Netherlands
- University of Navarra, Spain
North America
- The University of British Columbia - Sauder School of Business, Canada
- University of Alberta, Canada
- University of South Carolina, USA
- University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business, USA
- University of Toronto, Canada
The champion team, formed by undergraduate students from the University of New South Wales, with Prof. Hui Kai‐Lung, Acting Dean of the HKUST Business School (first left) and Mr. David Grimme, Chief Operating Officer, Asia and Middle East, HSBC (first right)
The HKICC 2025, Asia’s premier international case competition, is organized by the HKUST Business School and supported by HSBC
Prof. TAM Kar Yan, HKUST Vice-President for Administration and Business (right) presents a token of appreciation to Mr. David Grimme, Chief Operating Officer, Asia and Middle East, HSBC (left) to thank the bank for its support of HKICC
The first runner-up, formed by undergraduate students from the Chulalongkorn University with Prof. Albert IP, Special Advisor to the Dean of Business and Management, HKUST (second right), and Prof. Tat Koon KOH, Associate Dean (UG Programs) of the HKUST Business School (first left)
The second runner-up, formed by undergraduate students from the Ateneo de Manila University, with Mr. Chris TSANG, Assistant Dean (Administration) of the HKUST Business School (first left), and Prof Winnie PENG, Director of Roger King Center for Asian Family Business and Family Office at HKUST (first right)
The winning team of the Outstanding Business Concept Award, formed by undergraduate students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, with Ms. Honnus Cheung, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, On-us (first right) and Prof. Joseph KOC Adjunct of HKUST Department of Management (first left)
About HKUST Business School
The HKUST Business School is young, innovative and committed to advancing global business knowledge. The School has forged an international reputation for world class education programs and research performance, and has received many top global rankings. For more details about the School, please visit https://bm.hkust.edu.hk.
For media enquiries, please contact:
HKUST Business School
Danny LEE
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E-mail: dannyyklee@ust.hk