For immediate release

Kwantlen students place first in global business competition

Metro Vancouver, BC – (May 7, 2012) – It was the ultimate test of their business and information systems skills and on May 3rd, they passed with flying colours. A team of three students from Kwantlen Polytechnic University's School of Business won first place at the 2012 APEX Business-IT Global Case Challenge, held in Singapore.

The annual competition brings together undergraduate students from leading universities to propose the best solutions to real-world case scenarios encompassing information systems and business solutions. A total of 19 teams competed from universities around the world, including UBC and SFU.

As part of the competition, Kwantlen students Natasha Campbell, Larisa Gorodetsky and Steven Vu (David Dryden served as an alternate) were required to think and analyze in the realms of business and information systems to develop a business recommendation within 24 hours of case deliberation. A panel of judges comprising of business-IT professionals and industry experts played the role of characters in the case and judged the teams.

"Larisa, Natasha, Steven and David are excellent students who committed considerable time beyond their normal class requirements to train,” says David Wiens, Associate Dean of the Kwantlen School of Business. "Their achievement is a direct reflection of both their determination to excel and to the high quality of instruction they have received at Kwantlen."

This victory comes on the heels of the team's win in North America's largest information technology business case competition, the CaseIT International Undergraduate Business Competition, hosted by SFU. The Kwantlen students competed against 16 other teams to claim first place in this competition.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region for 30 years, and has opened doors to success for more than 250,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs, including business, liberal arts and science, design, health, trades and technology, apprenticeships, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 17,500 students annually have a choice from over 200 programs, including bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations.

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For more information about Kwantlen, contact:
Joanne Saunders
Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 604.599.2243
joanne.saunders@kwantlen.ca