From Strategy to Wildlife: Corvinus Students Conquer AUBCC Challenges

From October 13 to 18, four undergraduate students from Corvinus University of Budapest— Zalán Hrabovszky,  Ákos Kormos, Yang Qin (Annie), and Nikol Gyenes—competed in the prestigious Australian Undergraduate Business Case Competition (AUBCC). Held by UNSW Business School, Australia’s top-ranked business school, and co-hosted by Monash University, the event gathered 16 universities from around the world to tackle real-world business challenges. With the dedicated guidance of their advisor, Miklós Kozma, Associate Professor of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, who led them through workshops during the summer to prepare for the competition, the Corvinus team was well-prepared to face the intense competition.  

The week-long event challenged the students with three business cases. The first case, a 5-hour challenge involving Plenary Group, an investor and developer of public infrastructure, tasked the team with strategizing how to promote gender equality and close the gender pay gap within the organisation. The second case, a 3-hour challenge for Chocolate on Purpose, an Aboriginal-owned business, required them to find ways to boost Indigenous women’s participation in the supply chain and to develop methods for measuring social impact. The final case, a 12-hour marathon for JD Sports, a global sports retail company, focused on designing a strategy to improve customer retention in Australia and New Zealand. 

For Annie, the competition was particularly transformative.

Taking part in my first case competition was a truly eye-opening experience. Every challenge became a lesson, and every lesson became a step forward. AUBCC was the perfect mix of professional growth and cultural discovery, giving me not only case-solving skills but also a deeper appreciation for Indigenous culture.

For Zalán, the competition underscored the critical importance of contextualised market analysis and finding industry-specific insights reflected in the solutions.

From the first case, I learned how Plenary Group could leverage its investments by covering the entire property investment value chain, reflecting the unique market demand. We learned that beyond the overarching strategies, it is sometimes more critical to address the exact identified problems with practical actionable tactics. In the third case, we learned that in retail, the focus is shifting toward enhancing the physical experience alongside the online platforms, as retailers are no longer just selling products—they’re selling experiences, thereby making customer retention their priority. 

The event also featured enriching social programs, with Nikol highlighting,

Connecting with some of the brightest minds globally and gaining insights from the jury’s invaluable feedback transformed AUBCC into a life-changing experience. The competition not only advanced my professional development but also included social programs. For example, the trip to Taronga Zoo broadened my cognition of ancient wildlife, such as the wombat, a surprisingly large animal, thus deepening my appreciation for the diversity of our planet.

Reflecting on the competition, Ákos noted: 

AUBCC challenged me and the team, emphasising the importance of psychological endurance. It was an invaluable international learning experience that has inspired me to initiate new workshops focusing on mental resilience and balanced team performance in the Q&A.

Throughout the competition, the team demonstrated exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving skills, delivering strong solutions under intense time pressure. Their ability to address complex business issues and present their findings effectively earned them recognition from the jury. 

At the closing ceremony, jury member Gary Liang, a UNSW and Wharton School graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA and founder of an AI startup, praised the team’s strategy for its complexity and depth. He specifically highlighted their strong team performance, praising their thoughtful approach and execution. 

Miklós Kozma, PhD, the team’s advisor, reflected on their journey:

Despite unexpected challenges and three of our students being new to the competition scene, they embraced the journey. Guided by my support, they showed resilience and growth, particularly in the presentations and Q&A sessions. The jury’s appreciative feedback highlighted our quality performance, especially in the third round. While there’s ample room for further improvement, our participation was a testament to our commitment to learning and development. We can be immensely proud of our performance and look forward to future competitions.

We would like to congratulate the team and their advisor Miklós Kozma, for their excellent performance. Special thanks to the Case Track professors, mentors, and alumni for their continuous support in preparing the team. We look forward to leveraging our learning experience in the future competitions of our peers!