Yonsei School of Business sent the college’s representative team to participate in the HSBC/HKU Business Case Competition 2015 in response to an invitation from Hong Kong University. The team consisted of Lim Hyun-soo (Entering class of 2009, Business major), Park Soo-min (Entering class of 2011, Business major), Kim Ji-soo (Entering class of 2012, Business major), and Byun Ji-ae (Entering class of 2012, Business major). The competition was held June 1 at Hong Kong University.

Although the team did not win, members said they learned a great deal through just participating. Team leader Lim Hyun-soo was interviewed about the experience.

Q> Could you describe the HSBC/HKU Case Competition in which you participated?

A> This case analysis competition is targeted at students of Asia-Pacific nations and hosted by Hong Kong University and sponsored by the HSBC bank. Furthermore, the objective of the competition was to verify the capability of students who study business and to form a network among the schools and nations. A total of 24 colleges participated in this competition, including Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippine, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia. In the tournament, there were five rounds; in each round, teams were given the same case to solve in two and a half hours, and they were given 20 minutes to present their solution in front of the judges in English.

Q>How did you get to participate in the competition and how did you prepare?

A>I got to know about the competition while going through the notices posted on the School of Business homepage. I decided to participate in the competition because I was attracted to the idea of competing with the world’s outstanding students. During the early stage of preparations, I solved cases published by the HBR (Harvard Business Review) and ACRC (Asia Case Research Center), and for one month after midterm exams, I regularly met and was guided by Professor Kyung Min Park of Management and solved the previous competition’s cases.

Q>There’s some regret that the School of Business team didn’t win this competition. Which points do you think needed correction?

A>We tried to manage our time very well, yet during the practice sessions the presentation was too short and during the competition, it was too long, hence we were unable to neatly conclude our presentation. Also, considering the fact that the judges were made up of HSBC’s present executives, we should’ve presented a practical business model rather than leaning on business theory.

Q>What did you feel during the process of preparing and participating in the competition?

A>Unconsciously, while I attended the nation’s most prestigious business school, I fell into mannerisms, but through this competition, I gained great motivation. In order to fulfill my dream of working on the world stage while competing with the world’s best students, I made up my mind not to be satisfied with my current state, but to strive for continuous development. Furthermore, I believe that even though our college is developing day-by-day in various areas and is shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s leading colleges, it should still constantly strive to become the best college in the world.

Q>Please, a word of advice for future classmates who want to compete in the same competition or in another international competition.

A>Yonsei School of Business provides opportunities to participate in various international competitions, like the HSBC/HKU Case Competition. I hope the students will be challenged and not hesitate to take the opportunity to participate in these kinds of competitions. Regardless of whether you win the competition, I think it provides an opportunity to develop oneself within a short period of time. Please carefully check for any notices uploaded on Yonsei School of Business homepage. Also, I wish to be of assistance to the juniors who are participating in next year’s HSBC/HKU competition to help them bring back good results.