UAE universities shine at the fourth annual Global Business Challenge

The Global Business Challenge (GBC), an annual competition organised by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), received record number of participants from universities across the Middle East. About 100 teams registered for the annual competition from which six universities were shortlisted, from all across GCC.

The shortlisted universities include Heriot Watt Dubai Campus, University of Wollongong in Dubai, College of Business and Finance, Middlesex University, Szabist and Bits Pillani.

Now in its fourth year, the GBC is an international business and financial management competition, designed to bring out the best in potential business leaders from university and college students around the world. The competition is open to full time undergraduate students in a university or college based in the respective region.

The shortlisted UAE universities will now compete at the Middle East regional finals, to be held in Dubai on May 31, 2012. The teams will have to present a case study, based on a fictional company created by CIMA using realistic business information. Taking on the roles of financial consultants, the teams will submit a report setting out their recommendations for the future of the company and present their findings to a panel of judges at the regional finals.

The reports will be assessed by a board of judges, made up from senior management experts from top regional, multi-national organizations, media and public sector based across GCC. Judging criteria will focus on areas such as, prioritization and diversity of response, as well as the use of recognised business models and technical methods to analyse financial data. Winners of the regional finals will progress to the global final, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in July.

Geetu Ahuja, Head of GCC, CIMA, said, “The Global Business Challenge has established itself as a competition that brings out the most talented and able students, the next generation of CIMA professionals. The quality of the projects we’ve received from students this year have raised the bar yet again and we are looking forward to seeing them presented at the regional finals this month. I am sure the judges are going to have a tough decision on their hands.”

The international competition provides students with an excellent opportunity to test the depth of their financial knowledge, sharpen their business management acumen, and access to present their skills in front of some of the world’s most renowned business organisations, with internship opportunities up for grabs.

The GBC global finals will have students representing universities from India, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Mainland China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, South Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Indonesia, Russia, the Philippines and Vietnam.