The competition received applicants from university students across the Middle East and Africa region

Dubai, UAE, June 16, 2020 – IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) has announced the winners of the ninth edition of its Student Case Competition, which invited university students across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) to analyze a business case study and provide recommendations that countered the proposed challenge.

The winning teams were revealed during a virtual session this week, in which SP Jain School of Global Management students were awarded first place and German University in Cairo students were named the runners-up. The winning team was awarded USD 3,000 and the runners-up received USD 2,000 for their efforts and participation.  

Commenting on the event, Hanadi Khalife, Senior Director of MEA & India operations at IMA said, “We are very happy with the number of participants this year and are delighted to see so many bright university students show off their business acumen, and their analytical and interpersonal presentation skills to solve complex real-world problems based on a real business case study.

“Even though we had to adapt our traditional face-to-face final presentation, we found great success in moving the competition online and providing students with an alternative avenue to apply their theoretical accounting knowledge. We are determined to continue supporting young students with their professional career development as a means of bridging the industry skills gap.”

This annual competition was carried out online for the first time in its nine-year history. IMA witnessed a remarkable level of participation with 36 submissions from 19 universities across the region, including recognized institutions such as Cairo University, HCT – DWC, Prince Sultan University and SP Jain School of Global Management entering multiple teams. The top four teams were shortlisted and given an opportunity to present their case analysis and solutions to a panel of judges consisting of key regional industry experts. 

IMA has been holding the Student Case Competition in the region for the past nine years. This annual competition, which was launched in the UAE in 2012 and across the region the following year, is a global initiative to help accounting and finance students showcase their business analysis skills by preparing them for the complex challenges that today’s organizations face.