IBSS Hosts Inaugural Bridging East & West Business Case Competition

On Saturday 12 July 2025, the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi¡¯an Jiaotong-Liverpool University welcomed student teams from across China and overseas for its inaugural?Bridging East & West Business Case Competition. Case sponsor UTC provided a live consulting challenge based on a real business scenario. Teams conducted their research through a blended online-offline format that included real-time client interviews and dynamic analysis of the sponsor¡¯s evolving operations, experiencing first-hand the complexities and innovations involved in sustainable business practice.

The competition drew 19 teams from 15 universities worldwide. After the preliminary round, 10 finalist teams from China, Japan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh advanced. They presented in-depth analyses on the theme ¡°Sustainable Business Leadership in Practice,¡± delivering an inspiring showcase of global perspectives and actionable insights. The final was co-hosted by Yixiao She and Maowei Hua from Xi¡¯an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

Dr Ellen Touchstone opened the competition with a warm welcome speech, congratulating all teams on reaching the final. She introduced the remarkable journey of IBSS, noting its position as the youngest business school in the world to hold triple-crown accreditation, as well as being the only PRME Champion in China. She also spoke about the school¡¯s mission and vision being underpinned by a strong commitment to responsible management and sustainability.

Dr Touchstone highlighted several IBSS initiatives, including the award-winning?15 Ways in 15 Weeks campaign, which forms part of the broader ¡®Sustainable Future Talents¡¯ programme she leads. This popular initiative encourages students and staff to engage with the UN¡¯s 17 Sustainable Development Goals through practical weekly challenges such as setting up a second-hand market on campus, which has proved popular amongst students and staff alike.

Subsequently, Ms Weihong Kong, President of UTC, and Ms Xiaohong Kong, Vice President, delivered speeches on behalf of the industry, sharing UTC's exploration and practice in the field of sustainable development. In this way, UTC is China¡¯s first company to produce multi-brand, multi-channel travel gear and has focused on sustainability since 2021, introducing traceable materials, recycling, and lifetime warranties to extend product lifecycles. In her speech, Ms Weihong Kong outlined UTC's journey from brand creation to sustainable transformation, highlighting initiatives such as concept sorting, profit model innovation, and community-based operations. This real-world case provided participating teams with a vivid research sample and inspired their in-depth thinking on sustainable business models.

During the day¡¯s case presentation session, the 10 finalist teams representing Fudan University, XJTLU, Southeast University, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Qingdao University, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, University of Rajshahi and Wenzhou-Kean University analysed UTC¡¯s strategy from a range of perspectives, including material innovation, supply-chain optimisation, consumer behaviour and community co-creation. The student teams were all professionally dressed, confident and exceptionally well-prepared. Their presentations reflected a strong grasp of business theory and an ability to apply it to real-world challenges.

After a closely contested final, gold, silver, and bronze awards, along with special honours we presented. The gold award went to a team composed of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and Southeast University. Silver awards were claimed by teams from Wenzhou-Kean University and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, while bronze awards went to teams from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China Pharmaceutical University, and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. In addition, Ms Weihong Kong and Ms Xiaohong Kong were awarded the "Outstanding Cooperation Award" for their outstanding contributions to promoting sustainable development in the industry.

It is worth mentioning that UTC not only provided participating students with vivid practical cases but also discussed potential internship opportunities with the gold award-winning team, offering more possibilities for young talents in sustainable business practice. This initiative further strengthened the in-depth connection between academia and industry.

Dr Jianwen Zheng from XJTLU, concluded the event by emphasising how the ?competition ¨C held from April to July - enabled students to sharpen analytical and teamwork skills while embedding sustainability principles in their learning. ¡°IBSS will continue to partner with industry and universities worldwide to nurture globally minded leaders and advance sustainable business models,¡± he said.

Looking forward to the future, IBSS will continue to work with enterprises and global universities to cultivate business talents with an international perspective and a strong foundation in sustainability, whilse exploring and promoting new paths for sustainable development, delivering greater value to global business and society.

Invitation to 2026 Corporate Case Partners

We warmly invite enterprises to join the 2026 IBSS Bridging East & West Business Case Competition as case partners. By supplying a real-world challenge, you will co-create innovative solutions with global talent, advance sustainability education and showcase your CSR and industry leadership.

Partner value

• Drive educational innovation: give future leaders hands-on experience solving real business challenges.
• Enhance brand visibility: showcase your sustainability achievements and industry expertise on an international stage.
• Spark fresh insights: gain creative, data-driven recommendations from diverse student teams.
• Spot future talent: identify and engage with high-quality students for internships or recruitment.
• Build networks: build connections with leading universities, academics and like-minded enterprises committed to sustainable growth and business practice.

Contact

Dr Jianwen Zheng

Email: jianwen.zheng02@gdsqbz.com