The global finals of the Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Competition recently concluded. The "United for Sustainability" undergraduate team from the School of Management and Economics at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) beat numerous undergraduate and graduate teams to win the global gold award, ranking No 1.

Certificates awarded to the BIT team [Photo/english.bit.edu.cn]

The Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Competition is supported by the United Nations Group of Friends for Sustainable Transport, and organized by the Global Supply Chain Classroom and the International Centre for Sustainable Transportation Diplomacy. The competition aims to propose innovative solutions to sustainability-related issues and challenges faced by global supply chains.

The members of the "United for Sustainability" undergraduate team pose for a group photo. [Photo/english.bit.edu.cn]

The inaugural competition spanned across multiple regions including the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. It began in September 2023 and lasted for three months. 

It attracted participating teams from well-known domestic and international universities such as BIT, Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Wisconsin, and Moscow State University. 

After rigorous evaluation by experts from institutions such as the World Bank, Maersk, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and the International Centre for Sustainable Transportation Diplomacy (ICTD), the undergraduate team "United for Sustainability," guided by Professor Zhang Xiang and Professor Li Guo from the School of Management and Economics at BIT, won the global gold award in the form of an independent team.

The "United for Sustainability" team consists of four undergraduate students from different grades and with different backgrounds. During the preparation period, under the careful guidance of Professor Zhang and Professor Li, the team conducted multiple rounds of discussions, information query, data collection, and case analysis, continuously learning about operational management and supply chain knowledge, and ultimately forming an innovative comprehensive solution. 

Throughout the three rounds of competition, the team repeatedly revised, compared, deliberated, and revised again their project, resulting in over 30 versions of written manuscripts and nearly 40 versions of presentation slides. 

Team members review and share experience after the competition. [Photo/english.bit.edu.cn]

United, the team members overcame difficulties, and strived for excellence. The teachers provided timely guidance and support, navigating the team to face challenges. Through mutual support and continuous improvement, the team finally won the global championship.

After the competition, the organizing committee selected outstanding student representatives from the participating teams to form the ambassador team of the "Global Youth Sustainable Supply Chain Advocacy", which liaises with relevant United Nations agencies and the headquarters of international freight forwarding associations to promote sustainable supply chains and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). BIT student Huang Yuwei was selected as a member of this student ambassador team.