Business Challenge and Cultural Discovery – Our students competed in Belgrade

This year marked the 9th edition of the Belgrade International Case Competition 2024, an international case study competition where students from 20 leading business schools, to demonstrate their knowledge. The competition is one of the most prestigious in the field of business case competitions, with the winning university qualifying to the Champions’ Trophy in New Zealand. Representing Corvinus University of Budapest, Péter Buzás, Mirella Fekete, Dóra Gaál, and Éva Molnár participated in the competition under the name Morana Consulting, inspired by the ancient Slavic goddess of winter’s end, rebirth, and dreams. Their preparation was guided by Zsolt Matyusz, associate professor in the Institute of Operations and Decision Sciences. 

Our students were selected after successfully completing the Cases on International Business Strategy course, a compulsory subject in the undergraduate curriculum. They underwent thorough preparation for the competition, receiving guidance not only from the Case Track instructors but also from experienced members of the Corvinus Case Track Community student organization. 

Over the one week-long competition in Belgrade, our students provided solutions to three business problems. The real and current cases were provided by well-known organizations operating in Serbia. A uniqueness of the competition was its rotating divisional, structure rather than having fixed divisions, with the top 4 teams advancing to the finals based on the aggregate result. 

For the first case, which lasted 5 hours, teams provided solutions for the international expansion of Jaffa, a well-established Serbian company producing confectionery products and biscuits. Each team developed expansion proposals for the country they represented. Following the high-quality presentations, our team secured third place in the five-team division. 

The second case, also lasting 5 hours, focused on REHAU Window Solutions, a member of the international REHAU corporate group engaged in the design and development of window frames and insulation solutions. The company’s Southeast European headquarters are located in Serbia, overseeing 11 countries, including Hungary. The company requested an integrated CSR-marketing strategy from the teams, which not only involved the application of sustainability principles but also encompassed communication and brand awareness enhancement towards society. The company’s CEO was part of our divisional jury panel, and proposed CSR campaign by Morana Consulting was ranked first by the jury, leading to our team’s improvement to third place overall. 

“My favorite memory is when they announced that we won the second case; we couldn’t believe our eyes.” – recalled Éva Molnár. 

In the third case, which lasted 24 hours, teams worked on a problem presented by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (SFRS), a state organization supporting scientific and research activities in Serbia, operating under the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation. The case was extremely complex and multifaceted, involving a review and development of the current research portfolio, as well as the incorporation of opportunities provided by artificial intelligence into either the agricultural or healthcare sector, and bringing  researchers, business enterprises, and society together to exploit synergies. Presenting a high quality solution, our team finished third in the division and eighth overall out of the twenty participants in the competition. 

“I think I’ve improved a lot, and this first competition experience has made me even more excited for the upcoming ones!” – emphasized Péter Buzás. 

In addition to professional development, there was a strong emphasis on experiencing Serbian culture during the competition. The organizers ensured that our students returned home with lifelong memories. The organization deserves the highest praise; every program (whether professional or social) proceeded as planned, and the organizers also aimed for diversity. Advisors even had the chance to meet a real princess at the dinner organized for them! 

“The organizing teams and participants showed infinite kindness, professionalism, and openness, which truly made the competition memorable.” – highlighted Dóra Gaál. 

Congratulations to our students and their mentor for representing our University with dignity at the Belgrade Business International Case Competition 2024 (BBICC 2024) ! 

We would like to thank the Case Track course instructors and members of the Corvinus Case Track Community for their contribution to the preparations of the team!