IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants)announced the call for submissions for its 10th annual Student Case Competition which will end on January 31, 2021. This year and for the first time, regional first-place winners from India and the Middle East will have the chance to demonstrate their skills at the Grand Finals which will see winning teams from around the world go head to head to win the global first place title along with an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai.
Emphasizing the importance of the annual competition, HanadiKhalife, senior director of MEA & India operations at IMA, said, “With the economic landscape becoming more challenging and complex, it is imperative that we prepare the next generation of finance and accounting professionals to face real-life problems by encouraging them to truly think of innovative solutions to resolve them.IMA is strongly focused on presenting opportunities for finance and accounting students across the world to put their analytical thinking to the test so they may better support the organizations they end up working for going forward. Such global practices are aimed at bridging the skills gap and preparing students for successful professional careers.”
Over the years, IMA has challenged hundreds of students from some of the top universities around the world and found a growing appetite amongst students looking to demonstrate their capabilities to take on big business problems. For its 10th year, IMA is inviting eligible students from the Middle East and India to solve a business case on “Should Star Textiles Cut Out Intermediaries?”Students will be paired into teams of 3-5 and asked to put their business acumen to the test before presenting their team’s analysis in front of leading business professionals from reputed multinational companies around the region.
IMA will select two of the top-performing teams from the Middle East and Africa, and two teams from India. Eligibility to enter the competition includes the following criteria:
1. Students must be enrolled in universities in the Middle East or India.
2. Team members may be from different academic programs, but must all be from the same institution.
3. Each team must have a faculty advisor from the same institution.
4. Each team must appoint a team leader.
The winning teams will get to participate in the Team Mentorship Program with one of IMA’s local chapters. Each team member securing first, second and third positions will be awarded US$500, US$250 and US$150 Amazon gift vouchers, respectively. Winning team members will also get the opportunity to engage in a face-to-face or virtual conversation with Jeff Thomson, CMA, CSCA, CAE, IMA president and CEO.
Titled “Ace the Case – prove your business acumen” – the IMA student case competition has received major praise by top multinationals in the region such as Hock International and IMA’s Riyadh Chapter who have come forward to support students in their journey, as Platinum and Gold sponsors respectively.
Details on the case study and participation criterion can be accessed here:https://imamiddleeast.org/en/student-case-competition-2021/ .
