CIOB reveals finalists for 2023’s Global Student Challenge

The annual CIOB Global Student Challenge (GSC) is now hotting up as the final ten competing for this prestigious title are announced.

In this, the tenth year of the competition which sees teams running their own virtual construction company, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is announcing a global line up of finalists, with representation from ten institutes from five different countries.

The finalists – and the top ten remaining in the competition - are:

• Chongqing University Intelligence Symbiosis CHINA
• Nottingham Trent University NTU with us UK
• Sheffield Hallam University Hallam CPM UK
• Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) Student Facilities Centre MALAYSIA
• Taylor's University Taylors Sports Oasis MALAYSIA
• Tongji University Green Haven CHINA
• Universitas Indonesia Askara Victoria INDONESIA
• Universitas Tarumanagara Untar Hub INDONESIA
• University of Wales Trinity Saint David Student Union Building UK
• Western Carolina University Catamount Project USA

Since 2014, the competition has challenged the global community of built environment students to run their own virtual construction company and compete against others student teams. Each team is made up of students studying on built environment HNC, HND or degree courses.

CIOB’s Global Student Challenge is a true test of construction industry know-how, taking place in stages over a number of months. This year also saw the move to a new virtual platform for the competition, Sim Venture Validate. This online platform is already currently used by a wide range of universities to build employability and enterprise skills. It is also well suited to helping develop an individual’s creative thinking, business planning and communication skills and aligns more closely with CIOB’s corporate plan themes, as it encourages focus on sustainability, quality and the users of the built environment.

The finalists will now, for the next stage of the competition, develop the work they have done so far and present detailed project proposals to an international panel of judges online. The final stage requires teams to provide, among other things, a completed design and build programme, together with costs for each aspect of the build. They will also need to share a payment statement, listing what payments will be required, and when, and detail on the key environmental and sustainability benefits, which demonstrate a long-term community legacy for the project.

The winner of 2023’s Global Student Challenge will be announced by CIOB next month. The winning team will then be invited to attend part of the CIOB’s Members’ Forum meeting to present their project in front of some of the world’s finest construction professionals and leaders from the CIOB community. There is also a cash prize for the winning team of £2000.