August 4, 2014

Students succeed in solving real-life business problems

A group of UOW students took part in the inter-university UniVative Sydney annual consulting competition to solve real world business problems for local businesses during mid-session break.

The UOW team won first place in one of the ten categories for their consultation with the NSW Trade & Investment for a project that assessed the relevance and effectiveness of online education in secondary, vocational and tertiary education in regional NSW.

The award was presented to the students by the Honourable Catherine Cusack MLC, Parliamentary Secretary for Tertiary Education and Skills. 

UOW team leader Jacob Sargent said teamwork was a big part of the team’s success.

“Our success most definitely came down to how well our team worked together. Everyone chipped in at critical times and went the extra length to keep the project moving, which was important, because it's such a tight time frame,” Jacob said.

Team member Vincent Tang said he was pleased that the team was able to represent UOW at the competition and bring home a win.

“We are extremely proud that we had represented the University of Wollongong in an inter-university competition and that we’re able to take home a win for our university,” Vincent said.

Martin Smith, Director of Graduate Career Development and Employability at UOW, praised the value of the program for all participants involved.

“The competitive element in UniVative exists to engage the students. However, it is the process, not the outcome that is rewarding for the students as they overcome complex problems and gain valuable experience. Through the competition, the students are able to show off their skills -- teamwork, leadership, problem solving, time management, intercultural and communication skills, innovation and flexibility,” Mr Smith said.

The UniVative program is open to students of all disciplines, who are then given a problem to solve by a participating organisation. Students are given three weeks to solve the problem and present their solutions to the host organisations.

Domestic and international students from five New South Wales universities took part in the competition: Macquarie University; University of Technology Sydney; University of Sydney; University of Western Sydney; and University of New South Wales.

“I'd definitely recommend the UniVative program to others for both the experience and the friendships that develop from the program. It was just a great outlet to be creative, take a few risks and get an insight into the world of consulting,” Jacob said.

The UOW UniVative team comprised six students:
Jacob Sargeant (Team Leader) - Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce (Management)
Sai Krisha  - MSc Logistics
Ganesha Borala Liyanage - PhD 
Binh Nham - Bachelor of Commerce (Accountancy)
Neha D’Souza  - Master of Business Administration 
Vincent Tang - Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)