IMA Announces Middle East Student Case Competition Winners
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 10, 2017 – (ME NewsWire)– On Saturday, May 6, 2017, IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) held its annual Middle East Student Case Competition in Dubai, UAE. Out of 15 submissions this year, four student teams from the American University of the Middle East (AUM) in Kuwait, American University in Dubai (AUD), Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani in Dubai and Prince Sultan University (PSU) in Riyadh, KSA competed with their presentation and negotiation skills.
After their presentations, the teams had to endure a tough Q&A session with the panel of judges where they had to defend their management accounting case analysis. Ultimately, the team from American University in Dubai (AUD) emerged as the first prize winner while the team from PSU won second prize.
“The accounting field is changing drastically; accountants are no longer number crunchers, they are required to analyze data and make informed decisions. The case competition is an excellent opportunity for students to enter the business environment by working collaboratively and applying their analytical thinking. I am happy to see the level of sophistication, maturity, and confidence the teams have shown,” says Hanadi Khalife, Director, IMEA Operations at IMA.
The judges for this year’s competition were Hadeel Salem A. Nasar, CMA, CIA, Finance Consultant, Abdur Rahim Ghulam Nabi, CMA, CFM, APM, Senior Advisor, Finance, and Commercial Division, Dubai Airport Freezone; and Hadi Mezawi, CMA, Group Finance Manager, KAF Group.
The first place winner won a cash prize of US$3,000 while the second place winner received US$2,000. Globally, IMA sponsors a variety of awards, competitions, and CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) scholarship programs to help students earn recognition for their achievements and develop a curious, experimental, and adaptable mindset among future accounting and finance professionals.
“It was a great experience, and I will gladly do it again if given a chance. Thank you for the opportunity for us to learn finance and accounting leadership in the real world,” says Issa Salem, speaking on behalf of his teammate Ameer Aboushaar, the winning team from the American University in Dubai.
IMA’s globally-recognized CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) program is a relevant assessment of advanced accounting and financial management knowledge in four areas: financial planning, analysis, control and decision support – each of which is increasingly critical in meeting the changing needs of business, and therefore, essential learning for students of accounting and finance.