March 12, 2001
Students from 15 countries to compete at Global Business Challenge, April 1 – 7
At a time when new technology is continually increasing the need to understand international commerce, students from 15 countries will join together to learn about each other and to compete during the University of Washington Business School’s third annual Global Business Challenge case competition, April 1 – 7.
This year teams will not only battle to create the best international business case analysis — they plan to share their business savvy with Seattle’s Hamilton International Middle School students as part of a community service project.
Along with UW students, 64 undergraduates from Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Estonia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom will compete.
The Global Business Challenge is produced by undergraduate business school students of the school’s Certificate of International Studies in Business (CISB) program and supported by the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER).
“The Global Business Challenge is an unparalleled university competition with student participants from regions around the world competing to present the best international business case,” said Kirsten Aoyama, CIBER program director.
Students arrive in Seattle on April 1. After touring Seattle and area companies they will receive a “case” — a strategic international business problem faced at one time by a company. They will have just 48 hours to find a solution and present their approaches to judges. Teams will be judged on quality, creativity and professionalism in presenting their analysis of the business problem.
“These are our future business leaders. We’re getting them all into one place where they can get to know each other and learn about business practices from other countries,” said Debra Glassman, CIBER assistant faculty director.
The competition will reach its most competitive point when students make their final case presentations to judges from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 7 in Mary Gates Hall on the UW campus.
However, long before the final presentation, visiting students will teach 180 students from Hamilton International Middle School how to market “gross” toys such as eyeballs and slime to specific countries from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 3 in the grand ballroom of the Best Western University Tower Hotel, 4507 Brooklyn Ave. NE in Seattle. “It will be educational for the young students to see how people from different countries approach their work,” said Aoyama.
Sponsors include Costco Wholesale Corporation, Frank Russell Company, Starbucks Coffee Company and U.S. Bank.
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For more information contact Aoyama at (206) 685-3433, kjaoyama@u.washington.edu, Glassman at (206) 543-8738, dg2854@u.washington.edu, Andrea Gomes, event student co-chairperson, (206) 355-4412, agomes@u.washington.edu. Visit {http://depts.washington.edu/bacisb/gbc}
Global Business Challenge 2001- participating schools:
1. Copenhagen Business School
2. Manchester School of Management
3. Estonian Business School
4. University of Fribourg
5. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
6. Swinburne University of Technology
7. National Chengchi University
8. Seoul National University
9. University of Washington
10. McGill University
11. Indiana University
12. Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
13. Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile
14. Universidad Privada Boliviana
15. Escola de Administracao de Empresas
16. University of Pretoria
