Thammasat University from Thailand took home the championship for the Citi International Case Competition 2011 with an innovative long-term growth strategy for one of the world's busiest independent container terminal operators. The university defeated 19 other outstanding teams from top business schools around the world to take the highest honor in the prestigious annual contest.
The Citi International Case Competition is sponsored and organized by Citi Hong Kong and co-organized with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's School of Business and Management (HKUST Business School). Given just 26 hours, the students were challenged to present viable solutions to the strategic issues and managerial dilemmas faced by Hongkong International Terminals (HIT), part of Hutchison Port Holdings' (HPH), a global network of port and logistic operations. HIT presented the students with a complex case which underscored the sustainability of Hong Kong as a regional container hub.
Shengman Zhang, Citi Country Officer for Hong Kong, said, "We are delighted to see academia and business embracing a cross-sector approach to nurture innovative thinking and enhance business and financial literacy in our future business leaders. Coming here to Hong Kong, they gain real-world experience in one of the most exciting and dynamic business cities while benefiting from a global exchange of ideas".
Prof Leonard K. Cheng, Dean of the HKUST Business School, said, "I am glad that this annual event once again brought together talented students from around the world who have demonstrated their creative ideas and enthusiasm in tackling a real business challenge. The Competition-a long-term and solid partnership with Citi-strongly supports the HKUST Business School's commitment to innovation in learning experiences and educational programs that help future leaders prepare for a fast changing business world."
Held in Hong Kong from October 31 - November 3, the ninth annual Citi International Case Competition attracted 20 teams from 11 countries, including Canada, China, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the U.S.A.
The first and second runners-up are University of British Columbia from Canada and University of Southern California of USA respectively.
The Citi International Case Competition has brought outstanding students from leading business schools from around the world to Hong Kong since 2003, enabling valuable academic and cultural exchanges. This event also reinforces Hong Kong's position as an international center of finance and education.
Participating Teams for 2011
Asia Pacific
1. De La Salle University, Philippines
2. Korea University, Korea
3. National University of Singapore, Singapore
4. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan
5. Shantou University, China
6. Thammasat University, Thailand
7. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR
8. The University of Otago, New Zealand
9. Tsinghua University, China
North America
10. Concordia University, Canada
11. Simon Fraser University, Canada
12. University of British Columbia, Canada
13. The University of Western Ontario, Canada
14. University of Alberta, Canada
15. The Ohio State University, USA
16. University of California, Berkeley, USA
17. University of Florida, USA
18. University of South Carolina, USA
19. University of Southern California, USA
Europe
20. Aalto University, Finland
