RMIT PCPM Team Comes Second in the CIOB Global Student Challenge

Congratulations to Construction Management students Yuhan Sun, Phillip Stojakovic, Sze Chern Ng, and Zihao Wang  who won the first runner-up in the 2018 CIOB Global Student Challenge.  The CIOB Global Student Challenge is an annual international competition organised by the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB) for undergraduate construction management students (https://gsc.ciob.org/).  Student teams participating in the competition ran their own virtual construction company for half a year.  During that time, students were coached to make weekly decisions on construction project planning, staff allocation, estimating and tendering, cash flow, investments as well as innovations.

Coached by Associate Professor Peter S.P. Wong, the team represented RMIT in the finals that were held in Toronto on 8-12 July 2018.  Ranked 6^th in the preliminary rounds, the students performed brilliantly in the finals and placed second behind George Brown College from Canada, beating other teams from Cambridge, Loughborough, Curtin and Chongging.

During the trip, the team met the chairperson and chief executive director of the CIOB.  They attended the Institutes’ annual meeting and had the chance to meet all trustees and representatives from different continents.  Sze Chern Ng was also nominated as the student representative to speak in the debate on “the Sustainable Future of the Construction Industry”.

Reflections from Philip Stojakovic:

The opportunity to participate in the GSC and also network with the global construction leaders is something that I will never forget as I’m sure is the same with the rest of my team. I believe that the most important ability that this competition has taught us is how important it is to work as a team to make critical decisions when constrained by time pressures. I personally believe that without the mutual help and support of our close-knit team and most importantly our coach, Asso. Prof. Peter S.P. Wong, we would not have been able to achieve the result that we achieved. The highlight of the CIOB Members Forum 2018 for me personally was being able to meet the global construction leaders and learn about the different approaches, motivators and barriers within the construction industry in other regions such as China, Dubai and the UK. Overall, the experience and result that we achieved in the Global Student Challenge 2018 has enhanced our knowledge, professional development, aspirations and allowed us to foster relationships with some of the global construction industry leaders.

Contributors: Ron Wakefield; Peter SP Wong; Philip Stojakovic

Photos: Peter SP Wong