ASIA’S UNDERLYING STRENGTH WILL FUEL WORLD’S GROWTH AND INNOVATION
Shri Ram College of Commerce Named Champion of The 14th HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case Competition
Shri Ram College of Commerce was named Champion of The HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case Competition 2021, the world’s largest business case competition for undergraduate students. Teams from 24 universities in 21 countries and territories demonstrated their acumen and understanding on the latest business trends in a digital era.
Speaking at the virtual prize presentation ceremony, Mr Peter WONG, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, said, “Recovering from COVID-19 and creating a sustainable future for everyone on the planet will be some of the toughest challenges for the next generation of business leaders. However, Asia’s underlying strength will keep the region at the centre of the world’s growth and innovation and drive the future of global economy. The HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case Competition brought together students from across Asia to find innovative solutions to build back better.”
The business case chosen for the final round was about using a virtual influencer, a novel digital marketing tool, to promote the products from a leading sportswear brand across a culturally diverse region. The students were asked to discuss the sustainability of this digital marketing model and analyse its impact in the retail industry and beyond.
This is the second year that The HSBC/HKU Business Case Competition was held online due to the halt in international travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students made use of virtual collaboration tools to present their solutions to an array of real-life business issues during the week-long tournament. The winner was selected by a panel of judges formed by HSBC executives and the case company CEOs.
Professor Hongbin CAI, Dean of HKU Business School, said, “In the post-pandemic era, the global economy is becoming more vibrant and uncertain. With rapid technological advancement and intensifying international economic and political tension, we believe resilience and creatitvity will be the key for individual to excel, and for businesses to survive and thrive in this challenging time. We are pleased to be the co-host of this year’s competition again, which is an ideal platform for students to interact with each other, to be creative and make use of digital solutions to demonstrate innovative business ideas that tackle real-life challenges, as well as to equip themselves with the transferable skills to turn crisis into opportunities, enabling them to be well-prepared for their future career in the business sector.”
The Competition is organised by Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC) at HKU Business School. Over 100,000 university students have taken part in the competition since 2008. The Competition aims to bridge the gap between the real business world and the classroom by challenging students to apply problem-solving, analysis and presentation skills to an actual business situation. This year, online training workshops were offered to all students who were interested to learn more about these skills.
HSBC is committed to investing in people, shaping talent and nurturing tomorrow’s leaders. In addition to the Competition, HSBC awards more than HKD9.5 million in scholarships every year to over 240 top tertiary education students.
