Thank you: Li (left) presenting a certificate of appreciation to Prof Mohamed Ibrahim.
TO drive innovation, national car manufacturer Proton recently launched its Business Case Study Challenge, attracting some 300 students from six selected public and private universities with strong engineering-related courses in Malaysia.
Open to first to final semester students with a minimum of four to six team members per group, the competition requires participants to formulate and present the best solution to a business case study within an allocated time frame by utilising data analysis, business judgement and innovation.
The business solution is evaluated based on seven scoring criteria, namely, issue identification, depth of analysis, feasibility and rationale, innovative and creative thinking, application of academic knowledge and theories, team organisation, and stage presence.
First-place winners at the university level will receive a cash prize of RM2,000. All first-place winners from participating universities will then compete in the grand final, to be held in the Klang Valley next month. The champion of the grand final will take home an RM5,000 cash prize.
To kickstart the three-month challenge, Proton chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong presented a talk on the “The Journey of Proton’s Revival” on Sept 18 to 150 students at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP).
The top three winners from UTP, which is one of the participating universities, have been awarded conditional offers to join next year’s Proton Young Talent (PYT) programme.
Describing the competition as an excellent platform for students to explore and present innovative solutions to real-world business challenges in the automotive sector, UTP vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib said the growth of companies like Proton, with their focus on digital transformation and electric vehicles, has created exciting opportunities for graduates to apply their skills in this dynamic field.
Notably, eight students from UTP have completed internships at Proton, with four graduates currently employed there.
Proton Human Capital & Admin vice president Amran Mohd Tomin said the Proton Business Case Study Challenge not only fosters creativity and analytical thinking, but also equips students with a comprehensive understanding of diverse business strategies. It prepares them to tackle real-world challenges and sets the foundation for their future careers.
“Our commitment to collaborate with different universities and student associations reflects our dedication to fostering young talents in the country.
“By expanding our initiatives to reach more states next year, we aim to empower the next generation of automotive professionals, offering them opportunities through our PYT programme and internships,” said Li.
