China won the GMC World Championship

The international final of the 17th Global Management Challenge (GMC) ended on the midnight of March 23 in Lisbon, Portugal.

After ten hours' heated competing, a Chinese team-the UIBE-Siemens team, which is the China's national champion, eventually became the world champion after defeating all the other national champions including those from Germany, France where marketing economy is relatively developed. This is the best achievement that China has achieved since it first attended the competition in 1996. The victory is also one of the only several times that a team from developing country won the game in the international final.

This Chinese team is composed of five MBA students from University of International Business and Economics. The UIBE team has won three national championships successively since the GMC's being introduced into China in 1996. In this year's national competition, three teams from the UIBE occupied the top three places from 235 contenders, which present them the chance to the international final. In the international scope, the UIBE team has also made very impressive achievement: won the third place in 1998 final in Paris, the second place in 1999 final in Macau, and this time the world championship in Lisbon.

The Global Management Challenge (GMC) is based on a computerized business management simulated system. Usually several persons form a team, acting as the board of a real company. Certain number of teams compete for the market share under a model economic environment. Each team has to consider every aspects that a real company might has such as marketing, production, financing, human resource, research and development (R&D), etc., so as to get the biggest market share.

According to members of the UIBE team, the game gave them a chance to practice what they have learnt in school. Nevertheless, the international final presented them a good chance to learn something new through the intercourse with foreign teams, especially the teams from where marketing economy has already developed.

Wang Zhongming, general director of the Training Department of the State Economic and Trade Commission, also chairman of the GMC China Organizing Committee, led the Chinese Delegation to the international final of the GMC in Lisbon. During the tour, Wang was interviewed by reporters from the China's Central TV (CCTV), Shanghai Oriental TV (SOTV), China Daily, and China Youth Daily. He sang high praise to the competition and indicated to promote the GMC in China.

China's Ambassador Lu Boyuan to Portugal attended the gala dinner on March 23.

The GMC International Organizing Committee also presents the Best Organizer Award to the GMC China Organizing Committee.

Here, GMC China Organizing Committee would like to express it's thanks to ICEP, Portugal Telecom., Anderson Consulting and Chubb for their support.