The win is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the team members: Hana Khaled, economics major, alongside Jana Khaled, Carol Bedawy, and Raafat Saeed, finance majors, led by their mentor and academic advisor, Wael Abdullah, assistant professor of finance. The team were tested on analytical skills, valuation techniques, report writing and presentation abilities, gaining valuable real-world experience as research analysts.

Janna Khaled expressed;

 “I’m filled with pride to have represented AUC in the MENA region. Competitions are truly a unique learning experience, one that goes beyond the scope of regular coursework. Walking up to that stage knowing that you had to showcase months of effort in 10 minutes was stressful, but the instant recognition of winning was indescribable”. She continued by sharing what the experience taught her, “I learned the ability to craft a financial narrative with a clear objective so that every word resonates with the audience. This journey has given me a real taste of what a financial analyst does in the job market.” 

The journey towards victory began earlier this year in February when the AUC team secured first place in the local competition, the "Egypt Research Challenge 2024," organized by the CFA Society Egypt with the participation of 26 Egyptian universities. Buoyed by their local success, the team embarked on an extraordinary path, culminating in their triumphant performance at the MENA Research Challenge. The prestigious MENA Research Challenge, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), witnessed the participation of 10 university teams from 10 countries, including prominent institutions from Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Cyprus, Jordan, and Russia. In the face of fierce competition, the AUC School of Business team displayed unparalleled skills, knowledge and determination, securing the coveted first place.

"This remarkable achievement by our students is a testament to their exceptional talent and unwavering commitment," stated Wael Abdallah, the mentor and academic advisor of the team. "I am immensely proud of Jana Khaled, Carol Bedawy, Hana Khaled Imam, and Raafat Saeed, and their outstanding performance. Their success exemplifies the spirit of excellence and dedication that AUC strives to instill in its students." He also added, " The remarkable achievement of the AUC team contributes to Egypt's growing reputation as a hub for financial research and expertise."

The success is not only a testament to these students, but to the impact and capabilities of AUC students in general who have a remarkable track record of not only participating, but also securing top positions, often finishing in the top three globally.

The 2024 International Case Competition (ICC), organized by El-Khazindar Business Research and Case Center (KCC), has revealed the three winners of its sixth edition. 

This year’s competition was held virtually from May 9 – 14, 2024, and allowed undergraduate students to develop and present innovative solutions for a real-world business case study. Emphasizing the importance of sustainability, this year’s ICC case study tackled sustainable finance within Commercial International Bank (CIB) Egypt.

73 teams registered for the competition from 14 different countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Poland, Philippines, Tunisia, Turkey, Serbia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and representing 19 universities. 

All teams attended an exclusive training session on May 9, 2024, by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), KCC’s knowledge partner, with the session titled "The BCG Way: How to Crack Your Case".

Teams were shortlisted and worked on analyzing the case study for 24 hours before presenting their case analysis to a panel of esteemed judges from Leadership Coaching Excellence (LCE) on May 12, 2024.

The top 5 teams re-presented their analysis on May 13, 2024, in front of a panel that included:

• Safa Al Assy, head of sustainability culture & stakeholders’ relations at CIB
• Noah Farhadi, professor of practice and CIB endowed chair, department of management at AUC School of Business
• Marwan ElSayed, associate at BCG Cairo
• Engy Magdy, director of KCC at AUC School of Business

The winners were announced in a closing ceremony on May 14, 2024, featuring the guest speakers:

• Dalia Abdel Kader, chief sustainability officer at CIB
• Noah Farhadi, professor of practice and CIB endowed chair, department of management at AUC School of Business
• Iman Refai, Group CHRO, Estadat Sports Investment 

The winning teams were awarded from a prize pool of $2000!

• Winner: KCCase Breakers from Egypt ($1000)
• 1st Runner-Up: Snacks from Egypt ($600)
• 2nd Runner-Up: LAD from Hungary ($400)

The case study by Farah Oun, a distinguished CEMS Egyptian student, delves into the strategic analysis of a medium-to-large sized Egyptian company's global expansion. Collaborating with her German teammate, Marco Minutillo, who participated in the CEMS program through an exchange from Vienna University, Farah chose to spotlight "Breadfast," a household shopping phone application, as the focal point of their assignment.

Farah expressed her joy after knowing about her published work, 

“Knowing that our work is inspiringothers is incredibly rewarding & I hope it encourages future students to seize unexpected opportunities that life and AUC has to offer. One major key takeaway for me is to always carry the right intent when it comes to approaching opportunities or life in general, in addition to putting in consistent effort. From the beginning, our intent to publish the case was clear, which I believe significantly contributed to the smoothness of the process."

She continued by complimenting Marina Apaydin, associate professor at the Department of Management and the CEMS program itself.  'Without Professor Marina's teachings, passed on knowledge, feedback, persistence, trust and support we wouldn’t have had such a smooth publishing process. Additionally, I learned a lot from my German colleague, Marco. While cultural differences did arise, they ultimately enhanced our dynamic, highlighting the value of CEMS and the benefits of international exposure."

Marina Apaydin, associate management professor at the Department of Management, expressed her pride in Farah's achievement and underscored the invaluable contribution of the CEMS program, stating, 

"I am very proud of Farah Oun, AUC MiM (CEMS) student who was not only the pioneer of case writing for Ivey at AUC but also coached and trained other students. Her case, co-authored with her classmate Marco Minutillo, was so flawless that it was published without any revisions."

 

To date, Ivey has published 4 case studies from CEMS, with 3 others requested and 2 currently in preparation. Farah's case stands out as the only one so far that has gone unrevised, further accentuating the exceptional nature of this achievement.

The Case study is a valuable pedagogical tool that provides students with practical knowledge and applied learnings. It is commonly used in AUC School of Business programs to reinforce experiential learning and combine academic delivery with practical business insights. The School has a specialized case study center, El-Khazindar Business Research and Case Center (KCC)