Student Case Competitions

Case competition participants work in teams to analyze and solve current business problems, learning about various aspects like operations, finance, and marketing. In addition to providing fresh perspectives to the companies involved, these competitions also equip students with practical skills and real-world insights.

The Center for Professional Responsibility in Business and Society (CPRBS) Business Sustainability Case Competition is an annual event offering students the opportunity to tackle real-world business issues using principles of professional responsibility and data analytics. Its purpose is to enhance skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication.

Sustainability Mapping at University of Illinois

The inaugural Business Sustainability Case Competition focused on charting the sustainability initiatives at the University of Illinois. Competing teams created visual representations showcasing the University's achievements in the ESG/CSR area. From the pool of participants, six teams were selected to present in the final round, where they also attended talks by data scientists from academia and industry. A panel of judges award prizes to the top three teams.

Competition Objectives

The 2023 Professional Responsibility Strategy Competition provided a unique opportunity for students to apply their data analytics skills to a pertinent sustainability challenge. The University of Illinois, committed to the United Nations' 17 Sustainability Goals, lacks a comprehensive narrative to bolster its marketing and communication strategies. This competition tasked students with gathering and analyzing stories and data across the university's sustainability efforts. The primary objective was to create compelling visualizations and narratives that highlight the University's achievements in the ESG/CSR domain using business analytics. This hands-on experience not only enhances students' analytical and storytelling skills but also deepens their understanding of sustainability in a real-world organizational context.

Case Questions

The University of Illinois has been dedicated to working toward the United Nations’ 17 Sustainability Goals, but there is no consolidation of knowledge to facilitate marketing & communication efforts by the university. The goal is to collect stories and legends and survey the overall landscape to fully depict our university’s work related to these goals. The central theme of the case competition is to visualize the university’s excellent work in the sustainability domain, more specifically:

1. In what ways have faculty, researchers, and scientists at the University of Illinois produced research outputs and findings that are pertinent to the UN's 17 goals?

2. How are University of Illinois alumni making contributions to industries, think tanks, and universities that are in alignment with the UN's 17 goals?

3. How does the curriculum, spanning various colleges and departments at the University of Illinois, foster education and awareness of sustainability goals?

Contact Information

For any questions about the 2024 Sustainability Mapping Case Competition, please contact:

Dr. Fei Du, Associate Director, CPRBS feidu@illionis.edu

Ms. Lauren Ciconte, Student Coordinator, CPRBS ljc@illinois.edu