Competitions

Accounting for Sustainability International Case Competition (A4SICC)

Established in 2018, A4SICC provides an opportunity for business and accounting students to develop, build on and apply their skills to solve sustainability challenges in a commercial business environment – helping in the transition to a sustainable economy.  

Every year the case focuses on a different aspect of sustainable business. This year’s focus puts a spotlight on Human Rights. We are challenging students globally to select one of the world’s most influential companies assessed by the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) in the 2022 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark and to: 

  1. Examine connections between the features of their business model (value proposition; value chain; and cost structure and revenue model) and potential impacts on people’s human rights. 
  2. Develop innovative business practices, approaches and/or solutions for the company to adapt their business model and practices to address these potential impacts through mitigation strategies and/or alternative models. 

Participating in and promoting the competition – why and how

Right now, we see significant and growing barriers to human wellbeing and development globally: a cost-of-living crisis, supply chain volatility, climate anxiety and a widening skills gap. The more students, business schools, partners and sponsors we engage in this competition, the more impact we have on both students and businesses alike.

Within the corporate sphere, human rights are often viewed through a compliance lens – a risk to manage. This means many are missing out on the opportunity to drive value for both companies and society through ensuring business models support and enhances human rights. We want to leverage business, accounting, and entrepreneurial-minded students to reimagine the status quo – improving human rights up and down the value chain.

Truly global reach will allow us to access diverse perspectives, pool our resources, and deepen our collective understanding. This knowledge will put us in a much better position to take action to address sustainability challenges, while at the same time empowering students to be part of the solution.

As an A4S partner, we hope you will work with us to provide opportunities for students to gain practical experience in sustainable business, and to be creative and test concepts – supporting them to transition to the workforce with purpose. 

Beyond providing students with invaluable experience and equipping them with tools and skills to develop and apply sustainable business solutions, the competition also rewards the winning team with a CA$10,000 cash prize and the runner-up with CA$5,000.

Competition Key Information

Format: video presentation, business proposal and panel presentation

Language: English

Participants: The competition is open to teams of 3-5 students and attracts both graduate and undergraduate students. There are no restrictions on the discipline(s) students are studying, but the financial rigor of models presented will be carefully evaluated, so a healthy dose of business/accounting acumen is strongly recommended.

Geography: Global. Semi-finals take place virtually, the in-person final is in Toronto, Canada (a travel fund is available)

Prize: CA $10,000 for the winning team, CA$5,000 for the runners up.

Expected timeline for A4SICC 2024:

Applications Open6th November 2023
Application deadline14th January 2024
Assessment deadlinew/c 15th January 2024Entries are assessed based on their written  submissions and entry videos, to select semi finalists.
Semi-finalists announced22nd January 2024
Semi-final judgingw/c 5th February 2024Semi-finalists present their entries live, with Q&A,  in virtual semi-final.
Finalists announced12th February 2024Finalists announced and People’s Choice Award voting options.
Live final23rd March 2024In-person final in Toronto, hosted by Rotman  Business School, University of Toronto.
Winner’s blog publishedw/c 1st April 2024
More Information

Submit an Application for the 2023 End Poverty Innovation Challenge (EPIC)

GBSN member school students are invited to apply to the 2023 EPIC, a global competition and pipeline for outstanding social ventures that provide sustainable grass roots solutions to local poverty reduction challenges.

EPIC, the End Poverty Innovation Challenge, is focused on engaging the next generation of social entrepreneurs from post secondary institutions worldwide in developing the next generation of social ventures that lift the livelihoods of the poor. 

submit application here

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 31 December 2022

About the Competition

EPIC, the End Poverty Innovation Challenge is an impactful program of the Social Venture Foundation. The competition focuses on engaging the next generation of social entrepreneurs from post secondary institutions worldwide in developing the next generation of social ventures that lift the livelihoods of the poor. 

The global competition is a pipeline for outstanding social ventures that provide sustainable grass roots solutions to local poverty reduction challenges.

  • 5 finalists will be selected to compete in the final challenge held virtually on Feb 9th, 2023
  • Top 3 winners receive a year of customized monthly mentoring with EPIC leadership.
  • Remaining 2 finalists receive 3 months of monthly mentoring with EPIC leadership.
  • Top 3 winners receive a monetary prize enabling them to facilitate a commercial proof of concept.
  • Top 5 receive personalized feedback from the judges, who are leaders in business and impact investing.
  • Applicants will join a network of like- minded entrepreneurs working toward ending poverty.
  • Applicants receive 10 free virtual “seats” at the final challenge for friends and family. 
visit competition website here

Winning Prize

The winners of EPIC 2023 will receive financial support of $5,000 plus mentorship for a year to help winning teams conduct commercial proofs of concepts.

Guidelines

Your project…

  • Creates jobs for unemployed youth and delivers affordable social impact for low-income communities
  • Addresses a poverty reduction or SDG Challenge.
  • Prioritizes social impact over financial gain.
  • Is transformative and potentially scalable to over 100 million people
  • Generates a sustainable funding stream.
  • Has a product or service that is environmentally sustainable.
  • Employs a leadership team with tenacity and a pragmatic vision.
  • Is committed to non-secular and non-partisan mission.

*EPIC competition guidelines are abstracted with additions from “The Power of a Simple and Inclusive Definition” by Elizabeth Garlow & Rich Tafel as published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review May 22, 2013

submit application here

Contact

For more information, please email info@socialventuresfoundation.org.

2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Global Case Writing Competition

You are invited to enter our competition and support and strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) skills and knowledge for today’s students, who will become tomorrow’s global business leaders. 

The University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the William Davidson Institute (WDI) at the University of Michigan are proud to present the third annual DEI Global Case Writing Competition.

We encourage you to submit an academic case study about a DEI-related business dilemma within one or across multiple business disciplines. See Submission Requirements for more information.

enter competition here

Competition Objectives

  • Encourage and reward the development and publication of new, relevant academic case studies that focus on DEI in business and/or feature diverse protagonists as business leaders.
  • Publish teaching materials that will increase student understanding of the unique and realistic challenges of creating, implementing and sustaining DEI in a business or organization anywhere in the world.
  • Present learning opportunities for students that challenge current ideas about DEI in business and that spur critical thinking for creative pathways for more positive change.
view submission requirements

Prizes

Who Can Enter

  • Individual students or student teams (graduate or undergraduate) and other professionals may enter, but must enter in collaboration with a faculty member or instructor from an accredited university/college, in the U.S. or internationally.
  • Individual faculty/instructors or teams from an accredited university/college (in the U.S. or internationally) may also enter.

Key Dates

  • January 31, 2023: â€śIntent to Enter” forms due.
  • March 31, 2023: Final submission documents due.
  • July 2023: Public announcement of winners.

Steps To Enter

  1. Review Submission Requirements, as well as Resources.
  2. Review Frequently Asked Questions.
  3. Submit online Intent-to-Enter Form by January 31, 2023.
  4. Submit online Submission Form and final documents by March 31, 2023.

Sponsors

Thank you for the support of our sponsors. Learn more about them here.

Contact

For all inquiries, please contact info@wdi-publishing.com.

Call for Contributions: AACSB Marketing & Communications Conference – St. Petersburg, Florida

Date

March 8 to March 10 in 2023.

This conference is a collaborative opportunity for communications, marketing, student success, and enrollment professionals in higher education business schools. Sessions will focus on tactical components of communication and enrollment management in today’s evolving higher education landscape. Explore trends in student recruitment and retention, as well as how to tell the unique learner story for your business school. Learn what the future holds for the business school degree and what role communications and enrollment teams will play. Taking place in Saint Petersburg, Florida, this conference is a collaborative opportunity for communications, marketing, student success, and enrollment professionals in higher education business schools.

We are currently accepting proposals for sessions in the following categories:

* Building Your Toolbox
* Collaborating with Internal Marketing Teams
* DEI Initiatives / Inclusive Communication & Outreach
* Effective Practices in Digital & Social Media Content Strategy
* Engaging Alumni / Alumni Advisory Boards
* Managing Leadership Requests & Needs
* Maximising Your Marketing Budget
* Miscellaneous
* Operational Effectiveness
* Pitching Stories to the Media

More Information

* Research, Data and Return on Investment
* SEO / Website Management and Optimisation / CRM / Marketing Automation
* Staying in the Feedback Loop
* Strategies
* Content Strategies & Storytelling
* Retention & Student Support Strategies
* Student Recruitment & Enrolment Strategies
* Supporting Your Internal Engagement Teams
* The Evolution of Outreach & Recruitment Programs

Deadline to submit your proposal is October 14.

Submit a Proposal

Call for Proposals: The SWIFT Institute and GBSN Grant Competition

Case topic:  Bank Management, Cybersecurity & Risk Management in Latin America

Background

The threat of cybersecurity raises a number of questions for financial institutions and how they interact with each other, especially for those based in emerging economies. The SWIFT Institute – GBSN Case writing grant will support the development of 1 teaching case and 1 research case developed by faculty based in the below target countries in Latin America. These case studies will examine ways in which local financial institutions minimize this risk. The geographical focus will be on the following countries:

  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Mexico
  • Panama
  • Dominican Republic

Grant Terms

GBSN invites its faculty, PhD students, and researchers with a background and/or interest in finance, cyber security, and/or risk management to submit a proposal.  The selected applicants will be awarded:

  • $5,000 USD for the production of one teaching case (for classroom teaching purposes)
  • $5,000 USD for the production of one research case (for publication and online distribution purposes)
  • or $10,000 USD for the production of both case studies

The case studies should include financial institutions from all countries of interest.

Applicants do not need to be from a GBSN member school, but must be originally from or have greatly studied, one of the listed countries.

Case Requirements

(The SWIFT Institute and / or GBSN can be of assistance in introducing the case writers to potential case protagonists in their country of preference. It is expected that aliases will be used in order to preserve the financial institutions’ privacy)

  • For the teaching case: the final production should be 6-10 pages in length, with the incorporation of appendices and a 2-page teaching note that must include the following sections:
    • Learning objectives
    • Target group
    • Teaching strategy
    • Questions for discussion 
    • Analysis of data
    • Any additional background reading
  • For the research case: the final production should be 6-10 pages in length, with the incorporation of graphs in the document, and without appendices for online publishing and distribution

The cases will be owned and distributed by GBSN and the Swift Institute. Permission to publish and release will be provided on a case by case basis.

The development of the case(s) can be conducted in Spanish, however the final written cases must be in English.

Proposal Requirements

  • Proposed title and brief abstract of case study
  • Financial institution representation from one (or more) of the Latin American countries
  • Resume/CVs of all participating authors and/or researchers

Application Small Grant Review Criteria

  • Experience of the individual Case Writer or Team (30 Points)
  • Overall Quality of Proposal Submission (30 Points)
  • Relevance of Case Topic Proposed (20 Points)
  • Relevance and Applicability to Latin America (20 Points)

Application Deadline: December 31, 2022 11:59 PM EST.

Please Note: Applicants do not need to be from nor represent Latin American schools or countries, but must have an adequate knowledge and experience working in the target country.

Notifications for winning submissions will be made by mid-February 2023. Finalized cases will be delivered by August 2023.

Submission Portal

SUBMIT A CASE PROPOSAL

Questions?

For more information or questions, please email Maddie Handler at mhandler@gbsn.org

The SWIFT Institute

The SWIFT Institute, set up by SWIFT, funds independent research, supports knowledge-led debate and provides a forum where academia and financial industry practitioners can learn from each other. Its primary focus is transaction banking, covering the areas of payments & banking, capital markets, cyber security, technology & innovation, regulation & compliance and leadership. The SWIFT Institute aims to extend the understanding of current practice and explore future needs in global financial services. The SWIFT Institute is proud to partner with GBSN, helping to support efforts to improve the quality of education in the developing world. Our current efforts include the creation of case studies designed to enable business students to make informed leadership decisions based on real-world situations within the global financial industry. Additionally, we run Student Challenges whereby we seek innovative solutions to real-world problems and showcase those ideas to financial industry practitioners.  Our collaboration with GBSN is designed to shape and tap into the minds of future thought and business leaders.  Our research is freely available to download and share at www.swiftinstitute.org. 

CapsimInbox Microsimulation Development Lab- Calling all Faculty and PhD Students

Taking you BEYOND the classroom, the Educators Track is designed for scholars, lecturers, trainers, and university faculty across disciplines who want to connect with like-minded colleagues on teaching innovations, research and pedagogy needed serve communities and develop talent the world needs now.

Since 2020, GBSN and Capsim have joined forces to help bring quality and experiential business learning to communities worldwide through the Microsimulation Development Lab experience. The two organizations brought together scholars, lecturers, trainers, and academic faculty worldwide to design and develop a micro inbox simulation using current data, research, cases, and personal experiences.

Teams of 1-4 educators come together to design these 15-30 minute microsimulations, which immerse learners in real-world scenarios and evaluate essential skills in a realistic context.

Register Here

How does the Microsim Development Lab work?

This year, the Microsimulation Development Lab is offering an opportunity to earn two unique digital badges, which will properly prepare participants who are serious in developing a microsimulation.

These two badging opportunities provide faculty participants support in the process of designing and building a 15-30 minute inbox simulation experience. Faculty will understand how to bring these simulations to the classroom. These microsimulations will immerse learners in real-world scenarios and evaluate essential skills in a realistic context.

More Information

Timeline

The following timeline list the significant milestones for the entire 2022 GBSN Beyond CapsimInbox Microsimulation Development Lab experience (inclusive of both badge opportunities):

TimelineSchedule
July 1, 2022Registration Opens for all Faculty Members from Registered Institutions
September 2190-Minute CapsimInbox Microsimulation Development Workshop
September 221st Digital Badges Awarded
September 22Interested Individuals/Teams Confirmed
September 23Microsimulation Development Process Begins
October 26Microsimulations are Due for Judging
Oct 26-Nov 7Microsimulation Judging Process
November 7Winning Microsimulation is Determined
November 9Winning Microsimulation is Announced & 2nd Digital Badges Awarded
Nov 10-Feb 103 Months of Optional Microsimulation Development & Library Additions

Interested in the already published GBSN library of microsimulations?

More Information

Call for Preliminary Judges: The Victoria Forum Student Essay Competition | PhD Students and Research Assistants

We are excited to announce the launch of our first Victoria Forum Student Essay Challenge, in partnership with the Victoria Forum. This international competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students and invites and challenges individuals/teams to write original, unpublished essays sharing actual experiences and stories of courage, grit, and transformation, to inspire efforts to bridge existing divides.

Essays should focus on one of the following sub-themes:

  • Bridging Economic Divides
  • Bridging Social Divides
  • Bridging Environmental Divides

Thus far, this international competition has submissions from 15 countries ranging across 6 continents. 

PRELIMINARY JUDGING INVITATION

At this time, we would like to formally invite network members interested in becoming Preliminary Judges who would help determine the Top 10 essays.  These Top 10 essays would then go to the Victoria Forum final judging panel to award the winning essay.  We welcome you to please share this opportunity with your network of academic professionals.  We especially welcome PhD students, research assistants, graduate assistants, and professors who would be willing to assist us in judging the submitted essays and accompanying creative pieces. 

In addition to technical aspects, such as mechanics, organization, and narrative, essays will be judged for inspiration—the extent to which they have potential to tilt the conversation and inspire action towards a more inclusive and sustainable future. Preliminary Judges would read the essays and score them and the creative piece on a 100 point scale in four simple categories.

Preliminary Judges will be publicly acknowledged on the GBSN website and other external communications. In order to facilitate this, for those interested please email Julianna LaBelle at jlabelle@gbsn.org your preferred full name, official title and a brief bio with your confirmation of participating as a preliminary judge.

SWIFT Institute Student Challenge

In 2022,  the SWIFT Institute Student Challenge, with the support of the Global Business School Network, comes to Latin America!  Hosting the competition in Colombia, and Mexico where the challenges have been defined by and have the support of the Colombian (ASOBancaria) and Mexican (ABM) banking associations. These challenges are open to all students attending higher level education institutions not in full time employment.

There is a cash prize of for the winning team and the opportunity of a lifetime to be exposed to the leaders of the financial industry at Sibos 2022. The top three teams from each challenge will be invited to give a 10-minute presentation, in English, as part of a virtual Sibos 2022 during the week of 10-13 October 2022.

The winning entry will be selected by a panel of expert judges and Sibos audience.

More Information

Welcome to the SWIFT Institute Student Challenge Colombia! 

How to implement digital banking agents through are E-Commerce Apps?

For full details, download the Colombia Challenge Brochure here. Also available in Spanish here.

Submissions will be accepted up until 15 July 2022.

Welcome to the SWIFT Institute Student Challenge Mexico! 

How can banks foster financial inclusion in Mexico by combining remittances inflows and new technologies?

For full details, download the Mexico Challenge Brochure here. Brochure also available in Spanish here.

Submissions will be accepted up until 15 July 2022.

Register for Student Challenge Colombia
Register for Student Challenge Mexico

Previous Winners of the Student Challenge

Third Annual Virtual Regional Business Plan Competition: HACK 22


The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) of The American University in Cairo School of Business is calling all national and international undergraduate students! We’d like to invite you to participate in the Third Annual Virtual Regional Business plan competition “HACK 22” 

Through Hack22 we are looking for students who are passionate about finding and creating innovative technological solutions that inspire a more sustainable, accessible and resilient future for their communities. 

It is no secret that the world has been facing issues due to humanity’s unsustainable tendencies. Accordingly Hack 22 main target is UN SDG 13; “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” i.e.; sustainability, solutions for the climate change crisis, and recycling/upcycling. We aim at encouraging participating teams to develop a sense of awareness and understanding of the crisis and all of the interconnected aspects that surround them in their daily lives. Teams will create solutions that would advocate for a resilient and more sustainable future for the world.

Subsequently, climate change affects every sector and industry. Hack 22 encourages participating teams to develop ideas targeting specific corporate areas and sustainability problems in order to ensure an effective learning environment. Our aim is to produce solutions that would increase regularly sustainable behavior in order to help minimize the impact of climate change. The solutions could fall under a variety of categories, which include but are not limited to:

  1. Plastic waste, reduction and recycling ie banners, sim cards …..etc.
  2. Climate changes and actions 
  3. Hospital air pollution 
  4. Overexploitation of natural resources
  5. Energy efficiency
  6. Green sustainable fintech
  7. Others 

Gather your team, sign up, and get ready for a mind-blowing experience! Monetary prizes and other exciting valuable prizes

  • Deadline for submission: June 9, 2022
  • Hack dates: June 24-29, 2022

The deadline for applications Thursday, June 9th @ 12:00 AM (Cairo local time) GMT+2

Learn More & Register
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