Four UQ business students recently ranked 22nd in the global Innovation Challenge competition hosted by the Darden Graduate School of Business in the US.
The Innovation Challenge is touted as the world’s largest MBA innovation competition and requires teams to solve real-world business challenges for top-tier global brands. A record 440 teams from 88 universities in 15 countries took part this year.
The three entries from Australia included a UQ Business School team comprising Master of International Business student Alexander Jan, MBA student Dhruv Khanna, and Master of Business students Yen Chua and Cindi Choi.
Mr Khanna of Toowong said they had to work to a very demanding timeline, alongside several other major projects.
“Alex and I were also involved in the $100,000 Enterprize business plan competition run by UQ Business School and the new PROFIT$ competition, which we developed and launched in conjunction with Wilson HTM and the Business Students Postgraduate Association this year,” Mr Khanna said.
“An additional challenge was working with Cindi who is based in Beijing.”
The UQ Business School team missed out on its top 10 goal but beat many high profile business schools, including Harvard and MIT in the US, the Indian School of Business, and the Judge School of Business at Cambridge in the UK, to be ranked 22nd in its category.
Mr Jan of Chapel Hill said their challenge was to come up with a strategy that would make global whitegoods manufacturer Whirlpool a household name in water products.
“All the judges’ comments were really positive. Although we didn’t make the top 10, we’re really happy with the result,” Mr Jan said.
“I believe taking up challenges like this competition is a positive for students and the business schools they represent.
“It’s a way to get noticed internationally and even if you fail, you always learn something.”
For more information, contact Cathy Stacey (07) 3365 6179 or 0434 074 372
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