Six Holland College students are working feverishly to prepare for an international business competition taking place in Doha, Qatar next month. The International Case Competition is being hosted by the College of the North Atlantic, which has a campus in the Middle Eastern country.

There will be 11 teams competing in the event, which takes place March 13 to 15. Each team is given two and a half hours to prepare an analysis and recommendations in response to a case provided to them. The cases, which will be selected by the Dean of Business at the college in Qatar, will have a business, technological, or scientific aspect to them, but will be firmly grounded in the realm of business decision-making. The team’s case study must focus on areas such as ethics, technology, human resources, and marketing. Each team will present their business case solution to a panel of judges and will be awarded points. The teams will have a chance to complete three business cases during the three day competition.

The competition will not only enable the students to hone their critical thinking skills, it will also give them an opportunity to experience the culture of Qatar. Brian Murray, learning manager for Holland College’s Business Administration program will accompany the students as their coach and mentor for the event.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for all of the students. They will get a chance to meet with other business students from various countries and experience life in another culture. It is also welcome to see that business case competitions are now making their way to the colleges within Canada and elsewhere. Business case competitions have been the norm at the university level for many years.”

The team includes Nikkie Gallant, Business Administration; Kim Sparkes, Graphic Design; Natasha Mermys-Ball, Retail Business Management and Business Administration; Tyler Ranahan, Accounting Technology; Adam MacKay, Business Administration; and Steven Stretch, Accounting Technology. From this group, five students will be chosen to represent Holland College.

Business Administration student Adam MacKay said the team is excited about competing in this international event.

"We are all looking forward to this great opportunity and are excited about seeing the culture and country of Qatar. It will be an amazing experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives.  We will have fun, compete to the best of our abilities, and do our best to represent Holland College."

Fellow team member Kim Sparkes agreed.

"This opportunity is a once in a lifetime trip. I am very proud to be representing Holland College, and doing so overseas is an honour. Traveling to Qatar will not only be full of adventure, but a great cultural and learning experience,” she said.