AUA Students to Participate in International Competition

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On February 11-19, four finalists of CaseKey Business Case Competition 2023 from the American University of Armenia (AUA) Bachelor in Business (BAB) program will be participating in the Heavener International Case Competition (HICC) to be held at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida. HICC is a world-class competition that exposes students to the strategic challenges and decisions encountered by global business leaders.

This year, the prestigious business case competition has attracted 20 teams from various countries, among them CaseKey Armenia represented by AUA students Yervand Tadevosyan (BAB ‘23), Sofi Rafayelyan (BAB ‘23), Nare Farmanyan (BAB ‘26), and Aida Kamalyan (BAB ‘25). The students have worked hard to qualify for the competition and are excited to represent Armenia.

Prior to their selection to participate in HICC, all four students were engaged in a local business case competition organized by the Nation in Action initiative. Throughout the 10 months of the program and together with around 150 peers (selected out of 500 applicants), they analyzed business cases coming up with optimal business solutions for various organizations. Later, a pool of potential candidates were interviewed by professional coaches, who eventually selected four candidates to make up the team that will represent Armenia in the international competition. 

Right after selection, the team members started preparing for HICC coached by Hovhannes Atabekyan from Civitta Armenia. “This was perhaps the most challenging part,” Sofi recalls, adding, “We have been meeting with our coach about three times a week for two hours in the evenings to prepare for the competition. We have also been talking to many experts, including some of our professors, trying to understand the types of cases we might be assigned to solve at the competition.” 

Speaking of the competition and their preparedness, the students attribute to AUA the skills and knowledge they possess. Yervand says, “AUA has definitely played a significant role. I’d particularly like to mention the course Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation taught by Dr. Michael Kouchakdjian when I was introduced to business cases for the first time. Thanks to the course, we learned to solve real business problems, which was an important first step in exploring the business environment.” 

The students believe that the competition will not only help them put their skills into action but will also provide them with excellent networking opportunities. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values. 

About CaseKey: 

CaseKey Business Case Competition is an entrepreneurial contest for excellent students and young working professionals regardless of expertise or background, with an aspiration of uplifting Armenian businesses on the local and global playgrounds. Founded in 2020, CaseKey has already attracted over 800 students and provided them with the opportunity to directly participate in problem solving for private and public entities from all over Armenia.   

Media Coverage:

[Public TV] CaseKey Հայաստանի թիմը կմասնակցի միջազգային մրցույթի