YEREVAN, Armenia — In May, the American University (AUA) students participated in the International Case Competition at Maastricht, an annual business case competition by the School of Business and Economics at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. The team consisting of Ani Asatryan (BAB ’26), Ani Musheghyan (BAB ’28), Mariam Dadayan (BAB ’26), and Arina Pambukyan (BSCS ’26), secured 6th place among more than 15 international teams, and won the Social Challenge Award.
CaseKey Academy is a local organization in Armenia promoting business case solving among students and young professionals. With its training programs and yearly competition, participants learn how to develop recommendations and solutions, and the outstanding participants are selected to represent Armenia at international business case competitions to compete and work with students from leading universities globally.
The team’s strategic recommendations focused on supply chain optimization and operational efficiency. Their plan also included initiatives strengthening entrepreneurship, economic development, and community growth for the Nationaal Programma Heerlen Noord. The students also secured first-place in a 12-hour case at the University of Munster, for the company LVM Versicherung.
The team with members, Ani Asatryan (BAB ’26), Anush Avetisyan (BAB’26), Siranush Makhmuryan (BSCS ’26), Meri Grigoryan (BSDS ’27), and Daniel Stepanyan (BAPG ’27), have also previously participated in other CaseKey competitions representing Armenia. They earned 3rd place in a 4-hour case and advanced to the finals for two of the three cases. Later, they advanced to the podium in Budapest and for the first time Armenia won a trophy in the competitions, and earned 3rd place in the overall competition. Additionally, the team secured second place for the 5-hour case on Oktacron in 2025, and second place for the 24-hour case on AFI Serbia.
The results that the teams achieved required hard-work, dedication, and cooperation. Asatryan said “The experience taught us the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and structured problem-solving. It also reinforced the value of effective communication, as even strong ideas need to be presented clearly and convincingly.” She explained that the competition helped them develop skills that are highly relevant to their future career such as analytical thinking, business research, and working under pressure.
The team experienced challenges such as extensive brainstorming sessions, and collaborating while solving complex business problems, but learned that there is rarely a one singular solution, and that different perspectives can lead to equally successful outcomes.
Asatryan emphasized the contribution of AUA with the education and support it provides, and said courses taught at the University helped them apply skills they needed during the competitions. Her teammate Mariam Dadayan emphasized the support of AUA faculty and shared “I am deeply grateful to AUA and its faculty members for the continuous support they have shown throughout this journey.”
For the students, the competition stood as an opportunity to test their knowledge, utilize their skills, and work with one another to achieve their goals under pressure in an international setting.
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 (WSCUC) in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
