2021 global microfinance case competition

2021 GMCC RECAP

The 2021 iteration of the Global Microfinance Case Competition (GMCC) was one of the most successful yet. Embracing the virtues of the competition’s virtual format in 2021, the competition expanded to include students from new global universities.

With over 800 global participants, the competition was one of the largest ever held and provided a unique case competition platform for participants. Our case client this year was Ekphattana Microfinance Institution (EMI), the largest microfinance institution in Laos. The case tasked students to devise a solution to improve EMI’s loan applicant screening process using technology. The key case question was derived from EMI’s desire to overcome a key barrier in their loan approval process, namely in determining creditworthiness for unbanked clients and in improving the accuracy of credit assessments for all clients. 

What was most notable about this year was the ingenuity of each teams’ solutions. Teams developed creative solutions that best positioned EMI to overcome their real-life problem of obtaining more accurate individual credit ratings. 

The most successful teams provided solutions that were creative, comprehensively solved each key component of the problem and were justified by significant analysis - while being responsive to unique cultural and demographic considerations.

All teams should be commended for their incredible submissions – our screening team remarked the sheer volume of high-calibre submissions that demonstrated exceptional quality. The finalist teams also had the opportunity to impress industry judges from Kearney, McKinsey & Company, GSANZ, the University of Melbourne and EMI.

The Global Finals were successfully held over Zoom, with the following podium positions:

1st Place – Spotlight Advisory, The University of Sydney (Prize: $1000 & fast tracked to the Kearney 2021 Summer Internship)

2nd Place – Aurora Consulting, University of New South Wales (Prize: $500)

3rd Place – Luxe Consulting, Nanyang Technological University (Prize: $250)

“The GMCC was unlike any case competition I have ever participated in. The case matter was refreshing and microfinance was an area we would never have learnt so much about had we not participated in the competition.”
— Richard Ge (Spotlight Advisory)

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES:

  • Australian National University

  • Enderun Colleges

  • Gadjah Mada University

  • Nanyang Technological University

  • Singapore Management University

  • University of Auckland

  • University of Belgrade

  • University of Delgi

  • University of Illinois

  • University of New South Wales

  • University of Sydney

  • University of Technology Sydney

  • University of Western Australia

Thank you again to everyone involved, and we hope to see you again next year!

 - The 2021 GMCC Team