University of Westminster students achieve second place at the Universities Business Challenge

Team leader Yick Tam travelled to Liverpool for the final along with his teammates Sophia Peacock, Pamindu Thehan, Sheila Pham and their coach Dr Irene Brew-Riverson, who, alongside former Course Leader for BA Economics courses Karen Kufour, had been helping them to prepare for the challenges they would face in the final.

On the day, the students were presented with simulations, a task based on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a pitch about repurposing a disused pub into a homeless shelter and place for Social Enterprise. The team came seventh in the first round of the simulation, but their subsequent performance in the other rounds, in particular their creativity in the Sustainable Development Goals Task and the presentation task, helped them to achieve second place overall.

The team had been working hard to prepare for the challenge from the start of the second semester in January. They came third in the semi-final, which was hosted at the University of Westminster’s Little Titchfield Campus on Monday 27 February.

In the semi-final, students took part in three rounds of a simulation based on a Juice Bar start-up. They also had to complete a Strengths analysis and produce a pitch for recruiting a business partner.

The guest talks included one from designer Graham Shapiro, who was appointed as a Visiting Professor at the University of Westminster in June 2022. 

Dr Irene Brew-Riverson said of the competition: “I have always been interested in getting involved in competitions because of the very positive impact they can have on the student experience and skill development. Placing second was a terrific result for our team of first-year students and we came away feeling as though all the hard work had paid off. The team worked diligently on their ideas and displayed a level of maturity that was truly admirable.”

Sophia Peacock, one of the students on the team, said: “We learned how to work with each other and have fun at the same time. We practiced our creative skills, presentation skills and our skill with business decisions. As we worked together more, we were no longer just doing the competition but were having fun as friends.

“The University Business Challenge has been a unique and exciting experience. I learned a lot, made new friends, got to go to Liverpool, felt more connected to my University and its resources and had a lot of fun. In the end, my classmates who I didn’t know very well at the start became friends, and the University that felt unfamiliar and daunting began to feel like a community of my own. The challenge facilitated new connections and experiences that I would never have expected, and I really am happy that I took part in it.”

Find out more about the Business Management BA Honours course at the University of Westminster.