David Gough, Krupali Patel and David Koshy relishing some downtime afloat on a boat on the Danube River in Budapest.
Three Otago tauira were given the opportunity to pit their case-cracking skills against business school students from across the globe last month at the 2024 Central European Case Competition (CECC). What’s more, they got to do so in Hungary against the beguiling backdrop of Budapest.
The case-keen trio were David Gough (BCom – Finance & Economics), David Koshy (LLB, BA – Political Science, Philosophy and Economics) and Krupali Patel (BComSc – Accounting and Information Science). They were joined by Sinead Riden from Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka to represent Team Universities of New Zealand (TUNZ).
Handpicked by Dr John Guthrie, Chairman of the NZ Student Development Society – which partially funds TUNZ endeavours – these students jumped at the chance to test themselves against innovative thinkers from 16 universities worldwide.
“Otago students have a proud record of involvement in business case competitions, both in Otago and New Zealand teams,” John says.
“These students had an extraordinary, potentially life-changing opportunity at CECC in Budapest, and I'm happy they made the most of it." – John Guthrie
Hosted by Corvinus University in Budapest, the competition required each team to act as consultants and devise complex business strategies for a five-hour case on Lime Mobility Scooters and a 24-hour case on low-cost Hungarian carrier Wizz Air. They then had to present their solutions in front of a professional jury.
The competition proved extremely challenging and though other teams took out the honours on electric scooters and budget airlines, Krupali, Sinead and the Davids were more than content with their sharpened problem-solving skills and sweet social winnings.
The competition’s hosts arranged for the teams to have a free day to decompress between cases and take in the local sights. Attendees were spoilt for leisure choice – with city excursions, river cruises, visits to Budapest’s famous ‘ruin’ bars and clubs (in abandoned buildings) and even a spot of Hungarian folk dancing on offer.
Krupali Patel, David Gough, Coach John Guthrie, David Koshy and Sinead Riden looking competition-ready at Corvinus University, Budapest.
“It was lovely to experience Budapest going into the winter and exploring its magnificent classic and historic architecture. We are so grateful to have met so many cool people and expanded our connections across the world,” Krupali says.
David G said his personal highlights came from the social day.
“We were given a couple of shots of pálinka (traditional fruit brandy) and then taught a Hungarian variation of dodgeball. It was great to have the opportunity to hang out with fellow competitors – it’s always needed after a week of staring at PowerPoint and Excel.
“But my biggest enjoyment came from meeting such a diverse range of people. Something I always find interesting at these international competitions is that despite all of us coming from different countries and cultures, we are all so incredibly similar. It’s so easy to make friends because everyone has the same interests as you.”
David K was similarly impressed by the cross-border synergy between students.
“It was humbling seeing how people studying the same degree around the world came together to learn and grow from each other. It was a huge amount of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the competition and being in Budapest.
"More importantly it was an honour to have worked and learnt from some amazing students and coaches around the world – with particular thanks to John for organizing the competition.”
As for John, he was crowned ‘Most Inspiring Advisor’ at this year’s competition. Helping students grow and flourish clearly fills his cup.
“These students had an extraordinary, potentially life-changing opportunity at CECC in Budapest, and I'm happy they made the most of it. Networking is huge. Being able to see other top universities from around the world perform is a magnificent opportunity to look and learn and there is clear evidence of the benefits that the case students gain in strategic thinking and presentation skills.
"It’s always a pleasure to work alongside these young people of this calibre.”
– Kōrero by Claire Finlayson, Communications Adviser (Otago Business School)