SMU's Team Cognitare, comprising undergraduates Azfar Thaha (year 3, BBM and BSc Econ), Benedict Koo (year 3, BBM), Julian Yeo (year 2, BSc Econ) and Wallace Wu (year 1, BBM), has emerged first runner-up in the Sauder Summit Global Case Competition (SSGCC); they also claimed the People's Choice Award, after beating 11 other universities from 10 countries.  

This year's competition, which was organised by the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business, took place in Vancouver, Canada, from 7 to 13 March 2020.  The case involved TELUS, a leading telecommunications company and Canada's largest healthcare IT provider.  Participants were given 24 hours to analyse and develop strategic recommendations on how TELUS could achieve its sustainability goals in light of the expected environmental damage with a 5G network rollout as well as to explore what new opportunities the 5G network can bring.

SMU's Team Cognitare impressed judges with their innovative strategies which aimed to optimise network operations and increase user interactivity with 5G connectivity.  By leveraging artificial intelligence, the team recommended how TELUS could optimise energy savings across their 5G grids.

Additionally, the team recommended the creation of a platform that would increase real-time interactivity between users, unlocking opportunities such as allowing users to respond to nearby medical emergencies and to be remotely guided by a medical professional. These efforts would ultimately contribute towards the vision of building a smart city with a high number of interconnected users and devices.

In addition to their insightful recommendations, the team displayed excellent teamwork and delivered an engaging presentation to become the only Asian team to advance to the final round.  There, they faced off against finalist teams from the University of British Columbia, University of Melbourne, Copenhagen Business School and Queensland University of Technology, before clinching the People's Choice Award and first runner-Up prize (second only to the local team from the University of British Columbia).

Team Leader, Benedict Koo, was jubilant about his team’s achievement.  He said, “We were told that this was the toughest case at the competition in years, but our team stuck to our principles and methodologies as we navigate the complexities, especially around topics with which we were less familiar, such as environmental sustainability goals."

"Our success today would not have been possible without the strong support we’ve been receiving, and we would like to express our sincerest gratitude to members of Cognitare, advising professors, and LKCSB for their unwavering support," he added.