Aston University: Aston MBA students take top prize at Universities Business Challenge Global Masters 2022

A team of Aston MBA students has taken the top prize at the Universities Business Challenge (UBC) Global Masters 2022.

Team GE7, which included Aishwarya Nagath Menon, Nashit Khalifa, Vasilijs Garbacevics, Divya Krisitipati led by Mithun Joy and mentored by Aston Business School’s Dr Julius Stephan, will receive a trophy on campus on 12 May.

The competition offers postgraduate students a unique opportunity to develop the skills that you will need when moving into the working world and consists of 80 teams, drawn from a wide range of UK and Irish universities.

The UBC Global Masters is a team-based business simulation event that provides participants with the opportunity to act as a board of directors, who have taken responsibility for improving the performance of a company.

The finals took place in Liverpool where 10 teams from different universities, including two from Aston University, competed against each other tasked to run a simulated business under difficult trading conditions and also introduce an innovative idea to link the business to a social or environmental cause.

The teams were assessed on their team strengths and presented a one-minute pitch on a creative social business idea to an entrepreneur.

Mithun Joy, an Aston MBA student and team winner, said:

“I am really proud to be part of the first Aston Business School team to win this competition.

“It was a really competitive event against other universities, including the UBC’s defending champion.”

Clive Kerridge, course director at Aston Business School, said:

“Although an Aston University MSc team made the podium in 2022, we are delighted to have our first ever winners of this excellent competition.

“Taking part in the UBC Global Masters Challenge has been a great opportunity for our students to apply their theoretical knowledge to a complex, yet highly practical and topical business setting.

“It allows for personal and professional development that is intellectually challenging and practically relevant, equipping participants with essential skills. Working in competitive teams enables peer to peer learning and interaction.”