The Supply Chain Finance Community is launching the Global Student Challenge, an international competition which will identify the best student talents worldwide and connect them with the corporate sector. A cash prize of €20,000 and internships at major corporations are among the rewards for successful competitors.

Starting today student teams can join in 3 qualifying rounds in a web-based version of “The Cool Connection”.

The Cool Connection is a highly advanced business simulation that is used internationally by the world’s leading companies. This new way of experiential learning is as close as you can get to reality.

The Global Student Challenge is introduced by the Supply Chain Finance Community to create awareness on- and stimulate development in the topic of Supply Chain Finance. This interdisciplinary domain bridges Finance, Treasury, Supply Chain Operations, Logistics and Procurement functions.

The challenge is based on The Cool Connection, a simulation specifically designed around the physical and financial supply chain. The aim is to bring together a great number of universities and companies worldwide via this student challenge, identify top talents around the world and connect them to the corporate sector.

The Cool Connection is an innovative web-based business simulation. It engages participants in making strategic decisions in the management of a manufacturing company of personal care products. Working in teams of four, participants will represent the functional roles of sales, purchasing, supply chain and finance.

The Challenge engages participants to consider corporate strategy and business objectives and to manage cross-functional trade-offs in the value chain. The participants will be confronted with various real-life, real-time dilemmas. Cross-functional understanding and collaboration are key components, as teams work together to turn their company around.

How to participate in the Global Student Challenge?

You need to form a team of 4 full-time students in your final or pre-final year of studies and approach a professor at your school. The professor needs to endorse your team for the Challenge.

A university or business school (incl. MBA program) can only participate in the competition rounds with a maximum of two teams. In the qualification rounds the school can have two teams per teacher participate. It is up to the local professor(s) to nominate the two teams that will progress to the competition rounds.

Alternatively, a local in-house competition may be organized during the qualification rounds to decide the winners that will be registered for the Global Competition Rounds of The Challenge.

Please consult FAQ to find out more details on how to register and prepare your team for the Qualification Rounds.

Qualification Rounds

During the qualification rounds all students from a school are allowed to participate as long as they are endorsed by a teacher from their school. Endorsement is very simple and takes a less than 1 minute. A teacher can just register under teacher profile with name, email, university website and checking the endorsement box. If more than 2 teams qualify in principle the best 2 teams of that institution continue to the next round.

However, if scores are relatively close professors may decide on the selection criteria for the 2 representing teams (e.g. academic performance of the team members) and make the final decision. From June 1st till October 15th teams  can register for the Challenge and endorsed student teams have the opportunity to qualify for the Global Challenge Rounds (Competition) by playing 3 qualification rounds. Students have complete freedom when they do these qualification rounds and how long they spend on each round as long as all 3 rounds are completed by October 15th. In order to qualify at least 1 round has to show a positive ROI.

Global Challenge Rounds

Qualified student teams compete in 3 competition rounds starting November 2nd until December 11th. The time period for each qualification round is fixed and will be announced on The Cool Connection portal. In addition each participant will have to complete an individual assignment each round.

Grand Finale

The TOP 20 comprising of the world’s top teams together with their professors will be invited for a full week of Supply Chain Finance experience (all expenses covered for both teams and professors) in The Netherlands.

Opportunity Summary
Supply Chain Finance Global Student Challenge 2015
A competition to determine the most advanced students in supply chain
Deadline: October 15, 2015
[Oops, the opportunity has already expired. Sign up to AlphaGamma weekly newsletters to stay ahead of the game]
Prize: €20 000 and internships at top-tier companies
Venue: the Netherlands