Proton Business Case Study Challenge 2024 Draws 300 University Students

National automaker Proton has organised the Business Case Study Challenge for 2024, where up to 300 university students from six selected local institutions were invited to participate in this challenge.

For those who aren’t familiar with this challenge, the Proton Business Case Study Challenge is a competition that requires participants to formulate and present the best solution to a business case study within an allocated time frame by utilising data analysis, business judgement, and innovation.

Proton CEO Dr. Li Chunrong officiated the competition at UTP by giving a speech on Proton's revival journey.

The three-month-long competition kicked off earlier in Sept this year, where Proton CEO Dr. Li Chunrong officiated the commencement of this challenge by giving a speech on “The Journey of Proton’s Revival” at the Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), which is one of the six selected local institutions for this competition.

In the latest session at UTP, a total of 17 groups participated in the challenge, with five teams shortlisted for the final presentations. The top three winners were announced, and three students received conditional offers to join the PYT program in 2025. Prior to this, a total of eight students were selected for the PYT programme before, where four of them are currently employed with Proton following their graduation.

“This competition has been an excellent platform for our students to explore and present innovative solutions to real-world business challenges in the automotive sector. The growth of companies like Proton, with their focus on digital transformation and electric vehicles, has created exciting opportunities for our graduates to apply their skills in this dynamic field,” said YBhg Professor Dato’ Ir Ts. Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Petronas.

Besides UTP, other local universities such as the DRB-HICOM University of Automotive Malaysia and Universiti Malaya were also selected for this challenge. For the 2024 edition, 60 groups from six selected universities will be competing in the challenge, where the participants were selected based on their strong background in engineering-related courses and their potential contributions to the future of the automotive industry.

The business challenge is evaluated based on seven scoring criteria, which are issue identification, depth of analysis, feasibility and rationale, innovative and creative thinking, application of academic knowledge and theories, team organisation, and stage presence with different weightings.

The first-place winner at the university level will receive a cash prize of RM2,000, while the champion at the grand final will take home a RM5,000 cash prize. First-place winners from all participating universities will then compete in the grand final, which will be held at Klang Valley in Nov.

Proton CEO Dr. Li Chunrong

“Our commitment to collaborate with different universities and with student associations reflects our dedication to fostering young talents in the country. By expanding our initiatives to reach more states next year, we aim to empower the next generation of automotive professionals, offering them opportunities through our PYT programme and internships. Together with them, we are driving innovation forward,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.