South Business Simulation Challenge (SBSC 2020) exposed students to entrepreneurial activity through MonsoonSIM game

From the 1^st of March 2020 to 3rd of March 2020, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) held the first ever South Business Simulation Challenge 2020, organized by UTM Centre for Student Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship (UTM XCITE) in collaboration with Azman Hashim International Business School (AHIBS). The program involved a total of 25 participants from 5 Public Higher Education Institutions in southern part of Peninsular Malaysia namely UTM, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTEM) as well as Polytechnic Metro Johor Bahru, where participants each institutions are just and limited to 5 participants only.

SBSC 2020 used MonsoonSIM, an award-winning business simulation and gamification education platform, as the core basis for the program. The platform recognized by Enterprise Resources Planning (Business) – SAP and has been used in business education in various universities around the globe since 2013. MonsoonSIM allows educators, lecturers, teachers to change the way they teach the business concepts and indirectly provide students with early exposure to many aspects of business processes.

SBSC 2020 was a 3 days program where the first 2 days took place at UTM Maker Space, while the third and final day of the program took place at Cyberpenuer Lab, AHIBS. The first day of the program was just a short session compromising of minute introductory activities such as registration, briefings and ice-breaking. In the second day the program starts to intensify where participants get to understand, train and experience all 12 modules in the MonsoonSIM simulation, in stages, coached predominantly by Mr. Shafudin bin Mohd Yatim (AHIBS), Dr. Mohamad Shah Bin Kassim (AHIBS) and Dr. Zulkifli Hamisan @ Khair (School of Human Resource Development & Psychology, (SHARPS)), whom are certified, skilled and experienced guiding UTM students in various national and international competitions from 2016 to 2018.

On the third day, the entire morning session was slotted for participants to practice on what they learnt the day prior. Then in the afternoon a 2 round competition was held, in where the teams were evaluated and positioned according to the average score from both rounds. Tong Xin Jo, Ong Jia Eek, Muhammad Hafiz Faisal, Tan Lun Yong and Lian Tat Xian (Team Explosion Z) from UTM for won first prize and brought home RM1000, certificates of achievement, and a trophy. The second prize of RM700, certificates of achievement, and a trophy went to Team Tuah from Universiti Teknikal Melaka Malaysia (UTeM). The third prize went to Team Gladiators from Universiti Teknologi MARA Johor Campus and they carried home RM500, certificates of achievement, and a trophy. Consolation prized went to Team Untouchables from Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru and Team Paritking from Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia, where they both carried home RM300 and certificates of achievement.

All in all, SBSC 2020 was a success thanks to the mentors, organizing committees, participants and joint partners of Southern Business Simulation Challenge 2020. The closing ceremony was attended and officiated by Dr. Noriza Mohd Jamal, the Director of Accounting and Finance Program of AHIBS and also attended by Muhammad Nabil Fikri Bin Yahaya, Research Officer of UTM XCITE, Mr. Shafudin bin Mohd Yatim, a senior lecturer and certified MonsonSIM trainer of AHIBS, and Dr. Zulkifli Hamisan @ Khair, senior lecturer of SHARPS. Students who have the potentials will be selected to be members of the team representing their respective institution to the national level, and further to the Southeast Asia level.