UMD Smith School's Global Challenge Competition

This competition is open to MBA and graduate school students ... but registration has closed. Sorry! Yet it's still interesting ...

The University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business and USAID's Business Growth Initiative are pleased to announce the launch of the inaugural Global Challenge: Creating Alliances for Economic Prosperity.

Teams of graduate students from across the country are invited to participate in this unique competition format, which is neither a case competition nor a business plan competition. Instead, teams will devise an entirely new public-private alliance--one that will allow a private enterprise to contribute to international development initiatives in a specified region. The challenge requires equal parts creativity, research skills, business acumen and passion for seeking solutions that advance growth and reduce poverty.

Prizes include cash ($5,000 for the winning team, plus $2,500 and $1,000 for second and third places, respectively) and the opportunities to connect with leading experts in the international development and business communities, receive guidance and build invaluable relationships with other students.

The final round is an oral competition at USAID's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on April 23.


The Challenge is sponsored in part by the Smith School's Center for Social Value Creation. The Center recently held an event that happened in part thanks to the support of the Ashoka U UMD Changemaker team. Learn more about them here. Follow the Center for Social Value Creation on Facebook here - lots of interesting resources on their wall!