The winners received a trophy named after former CIOB president Alan Crane and a cash prize of £2,000. The champions will also gain access to a mentoring programme formed of industry leaders to support and offer guidance to students’ professional development.
Over 20 teams from across the world, including Australia, Hong Kong, the UK and the US, took part in the competition that started in February 2014. The six highest scoring teams were then given the opportunity to travel to the University of Hong Kong to compete in the finals last week.
Crane said: “RMIT University has shown that they have what is needed to thrive in construction and that their talents would be an enviable asset for any business in any sector. You are only as good as your competition and all the teams offered a serious challenge.”
Teams were tasked with running a construction company in a simulated environment using the Merit software, which was developed at Loughborough University and has been used to train young professionals. The software enables students to develop business management skills, requiring them to take decisions on staffing levels, estimating and bidding, managing cash flow and capital and seeking investment opportunities. The Institution of Civil Engineers also uses the software for an annual competition, which it has been running since the 1980s.
RMIT finished in first place ahead of team McRanked from Glasgow Caledonian University and team Quad from the University of Hong Kong. Other teams to reach the final included: 3CL Construction of the University of Greenwich, Corinth of Loughborough University and team Square also from the University of Hong Kong.
The sponsors for Global Student Challenge 2014 are: Chun Wo Development Holdings Limited and Yau Lee Construction.
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