For the fourth year in a row, The AUC School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), El-Khazindar Business Research and Case Center (KCC), and Business Association (BA), a student-led organization, are organizing the online 24-hour international case competition (ICC).
The ICC brings together teams of students from all over the world to compete in solving a challenging business case. ICC was the first competition of its kind organized in Egypt and the Middle East and focusing on business challenges facing high-growth entrepreneurial ventures back in 2019.
ICC provides students with a unique learning experience to understand the business and entrepreneurship landscape in Egypt, Africa and the Middle East, including complex issues around consumer behavior, economic trends, regulatory and policy reforms, technology adoption and the supporting ecosystem. The case-solving competition aims to blend a cross-cultural understanding of working with Egyptian students and entrepreneurs with a good grasp of Egyptian culture in a well-designed process.
Every year ICC focuses on a startup in a specific sector in the Middle East. We recognize the value of such competitions to promote cultural fluency between students and introduce them to the multifaceted challenges that startups face, especially in developing countries. Startup Case Competitions are a great practical learning tool that engage students in the real world of entrepreneurship.
The competition aims at empowering international innovative students and university networks to raise their awareness of steps taken in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and engage in developing solutions to enhance the business operations of emerging startups facing the current challenges provided by the outbreak and post of COVID – 19.
Application Deadline: Feb 26, 2022 (Cairo Time)
Background
In April 2019, 6 International and 3 national universities participated in the competition, with a total of 34 students, 8 mentors and 14 Judges to help find solutions to challenges facing SWVL; a revolutionary idea that was born from passion, loyalty, and persistence to face all challenges on the table, Swvl is not just a means to facilitate commuting, but a hunger to strive for solutions, encourage the contribution of youth in innovation and inspire change. SWVL is an Egyptian Startup, the first Middle East $USD 1.5 billion âunicornâ to list on Nasdaq US and the largest African unicorn debut on any U.S.-listed exchange
However, providing the outbreak of COVID – 19, and in April 2020, the case competition was held online with 11 AUC student teams competing via Zoom on identifying challenges confronting a full-service digital agency, Robusta Studio; is a tech agency working with a diverse client base across different sectors and industries on implementing digital transformation programs.
ICCâs third run in March 2021 had a flavor from each of the last two case competitions; it was held virtually and targeted international students who wish to learn and find solutions to challenges facing rising startups in Egypt especially beyond the pandemic. ICC 21 had a total of 55 team submissions, comprising a number of 202 participants from 20 nationalities. The case of Schaduf was selected and developed in an academic framework to crack their approach and best practices to deal with the current challenges.âŻSchaduf; one of the pioneers of sustainability in the Middle East since 2011. Schaduf believes in social responsibility towards emerging issues such as food security, food sovereignty, and the expansion of urban spaces at the expense of green spaces. They create more sustainable and eco-friendly urban cities. They specialize in diverse sections of services to make sure that they deliver the goal of sustainable urban cities, such as landscape design, urban farming, green walls, green roofs.
Despite the different structures of the 2019, 2020, and 2021 case competitions, all proved to be highly impactful and memorable to the students and the startups, mentors, judges, and the entire team. And same as ICC 21, ICC 22 will be virtual, aiming to include more international teams.
Objectives
- Help students from different majors organize their thinking around an integrative planning framework while sprinting out innovative and constructive solutions.
- Provide incentives for students to apply their best learning practices to a real business case in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, especially after the pandemic.
- Help rising entrepreneurial ventures solve their challenges unconventionally; while supporting their journeys.
- Promote cultural exchange between the different teams and help to improve communication skills between the students.
- Assist students with building an effective network with employers, moving their schoolâbased knowledge to the labor market.
Concept
The competition aims at empowering innovative students and university networks through engaging them in developing solutions to enhance the business operations of emerging startups facing the current challenges mainly provided by the outbreak of COVID – 19. A scale-up case is selected and developed in an academic framework to crack their approach and best practices to deal with the current challenges.
An intensive social media campaign will be run, using Business Association, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and El-Khazindar Business Research and Case Center, as well as, School of Business official media channels, which cultivate following of over 30,000 national and international students, faculty and staff, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt and globally.
Disclaimer
All ICC sessions will be recorded for fair use purposes. CEI may use your photos, videos, or quotes for promotional purposes, and these may be circulated in the CEI printings, website, and social media accounts. This right may be used by the CEI partners and sponsors, including but not limited to, KCC, BA, and the AUC School of Business. Judges will have access to these recordings for evaluation purposes. We rely heavily on these recordings to promote further ICC versions among the interested individuals, and your mandatory acceptance to release them will be highly appreciated.
By participating in ICC, you acknowledge and agree that CEI and its partners and sponsors have the irreversible unconditional right to use these recordings under the fair use rules.
Generally speaking, this right is NOT negotiable. However, if you have concerns about the use of the mentioned recordings, please contact cei@aucegypt.edu before applying to the competition. Such cases will be resolved on a case-by-case basis.
Competition Timeline
Application Open
Feb 2, 2022, at 12:00 Mid-night (Cairo Local Time)
Application Closed
Feb 26, 2022, at 12 Mid-night (Cairo Local Time)
Acceptance Email
Feb 28, 2022: Check your email regularly on this day
Opening Ceremony
March 2, 2022: Orientation session and students on-boarded
Case Crack
March 4, 2022: Case is announced, competition started, and teams are working for 24 hours
Competition Day
March 5, 2022: Students present presentations
Second Round
5-top-winner presentations and winner is announced.
