Participating in over 10 international and local case competitions, you wouldn’t guess that NUS BBA alumnus Ahamed Marzouq almost shied away from this as he thought representing Singapore and NUS was intimidating. As an active member of the NUS Case Consulting Group, Marzouq still returns to school and mentors juniors before their competitions.
Travelling the world with the NUS Case Consulting team
Ahamed Marzouq (third from left) travelled to four cities in three years to participate in international case competitions with the NUS team.
One of the highlights of my university education is representing the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School at international case competitions.
Yet my initial response when asked to represent the school was fear of the unknown: I quivered at the thought of representing Singapore on an international stage.
Little did I know that this would be the start of an adventure that would take me to international case competitions across multiple cities in three years. After my first foray in the competition in Belgrade (where we placed first), I had the opportunity to compete in cities like Auckland in New Zealand, Maastricht in the Netherlands and Hong Kong.
Competing in an international case competition is more than just an intellectual challenge, it is also an opportunity to learn from other competitors. Solving cases demand critical thinking in strategy development, polished presentation skills and the ability to think on your feet.
Although the environment can be stressful, there are also moments of respite with opportunities to connect and forge friendships.
Sharing our cultures and life experiences with one another is educational, but for me, watching how different teams brainstorm solutions to the same business case is an even better learning experience. I have watched teams develop solutions for governmental organizations, propose strategies for banks and even craft marketing campaigns for tobacco companies.
Beyond case solving, I have made some close friends through these competitions – friends across the continents whom I have kept in touch.
My most heart-warming experience was when a friend I met in my first competition in Belgrade, Serbia showed me around his hometown Maastricht when I was there for another case competition.
Overall, I found being part of NUS Business School’s Case Consulting group is priceless.
The excitement of developing solutions to actual business problems, the chance to meet like-minded individuals from across the globe, and the application of classroom knowledge to real-life business cases offer a glimpse into the what’s ahead when we enter the workforce.
The NUS-SP Group Case Competition 2017 will take place between 30 August and 8 September. This year’s competition is sponsored by SP Group and SPH is the media sponsor. Find out more at facebook.com/NUSCaseCompetition.