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Even though you may be in your first year of study, it is never too early to start thinking about life after university and your future. At university, you will learn many things from a theoretical perspective, but not everything you learn will be immediately transferable to the real world. Therefore it would be beneficial to take advantage of any opportunity that Concordia provides to help you apply your education in a real world setting. There is one such occasion every year in January, hosted by the John Molson School of Business—the MBA International Case Competition.

In 1981, Concordia University hosted its first MBA International Case Competition (MBA-ICC). Since then, this non-profit, student-organized initiative has become a five-day internationally renowned business event that attracts competing teams from over 30 top universities world wide. The Concordia MBA-ICC — now known as the John Molson MBA-ICC — is the largest and oldest MBA case competition in the world. The competition strives to bridge the gap between corporate and academic worlds, which ultimately enriches students and executives alike.

How Does the MBA International Case Competition Work?
Teams of four students apply their analytical, decision-making and communication skills to the issues raised in the cases and present strategic choices and a detailed plan of action to a panel of senior business executives. The round-robin competition consists of five business cases, including one “live” case, which is a current business problem faced by an actual company presented by a representative of that company.

More than 200 senior business executives act as judges, bringing their unique background, experience and perspective to bear on the participants’ presentations. Teams are assessed on creativity, insight and real world applicability of their solutions.

This year’s organizing committee consists of four full-time MBA students who all entered the program in September 2001. The team, Dror Amar, Mark Burger, Viken Chahinsarian and Stella Yu, form an internationally diverse group, representative of the cultural diversity at Concordia University. With four distinct nationalities and covering eight different languages, this team is well prepared to welcome the world for this international event.

Participate and Become Part of This Important Event!

As a new student, one of the best ways to benefit from this event is to volunteer. This competition owes much of its success to the contribution of volunteers. Participation offers many opportunities to network with fellow students, prospective employers and senior business executives during the event’s lunches, cocktails, and banquets. It is an excellent opportunity to enrich your Concordia experience with an eye towards building your career!

However, to experience this week-long event, one need not volunteer. The competition is also open to the public and provides spectators with a chance to observe first-hand solutions to real-life business challenges. You will learn from the efforts of those competing and come in contact with some very prominent business people. It is also an excellent occasion to support your school as the John Molson team competes against other top schools from around the world.

This year’s competition takes place from January 6 to 11 at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal, Canada.

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