The Accra Technical University (ATU) completed a remarkable turnaround in the eighth edition of the Graphic Business Tertiary Business Sense Challenge (TBSC), emerging as the new South-East Zone champions after winning the three-way zonal final in Accra last Saturday.
The ATU, which entered the zonal semi-finals as the best loser from the quarter-final stage, finished the final with 40 points, beating defending champions the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), which scored 29.5 points and the Pentecost University (PU), which ended on 32 points.
The victory marked a significant turnaround for the ATU, which had initially lost its quarter-final to Academic City University by 38 points to 42, but secured a semi-final place as the best-performing losing team.
The university subsequently defeated the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) 26 points to 17.5 in one of the semi-finals before completing its run to the zonal title with victory over the PU and the UGBS.
All three finalists had already secured qualification to the national competition before the final, making the contest a battle for the South-East Zone crown.
Final
The three-way final brought together the PU, the UGBS and the ATU, with the three institutions competing across five rounds to determine the new zonal champions.
The opening round tested the contestants' understanding of basic and advanced business concepts and foundations, with the PU and the UGBS both scoring 13 points, while the ATU registered nine.
The ATU responded in the second round, the quantitative and applied analysis segment, which required the contestants to solve calculations based on an equipment cost and depreciation scenario.
The ATU dominated the round with six points, while the UGBS managed 0.5 points and the PU failed to score a point.
The Graphic Business round, sponsored by the Graphic Business newspaper, centred on an article about reducing bank staff fraud.
The contestants were required to apply the issues raised in the article to demonstrate strategic thinking, sound business judgement and their ability to make recommendations.
The UGBS made a substitution before the round, but none of the three teams gained an advantage, as they all scored 10 points.
The fourth round, the true-or-false segment, saw the UGBS and the ATU strengthen their positions with six points apiece, while the PU scored three.
With the contest entering its decisive final stage, the ATU held the advantage and needed to maintain its composure in the riddles round.
The institution delivered when it mattered most, scoring nine points in the final round, while the PU added six and the UGBS failed to score.
The ATU's strong finish took its total to 40 points, enough to secure the zonal crown, with the PU finishing second on 32 points and the UGBS, the defending champions, placing third with 29.5 points.
The victory capped a dramatic campaign for the ATU, which had entered the knockout stages with its hopes of progressing hanging in the balance after losing its quarter-final contest.
The university's qualification as the best loser provided a second opportunity, which it took full advantage of by defeating the GCTU in the semi-final before overcoming the two more established finalists to claim the zonal title.
The three institutions will now represent the South-East Zone at the national competition.
Background
The Tertiary Business Sense Challenge is an annual quiz designed to test tertiary students' knowledge and application of business, finance and economics while developing critical thinking, teamwork, quick thinking and problem-solving skills.
The competition, which began with 12 institutions in the South-East Zone, has narrowed the field to three finalists following the quarter-final and semi-final stages.
The event is supported by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management (CIHRM), Standard Natural Mineral Water, GLICO, Papaye and PwC.
The Graphic Business round, one of the competition's key segments, requires contestants to apply business knowledge and strategic thinking to issues drawn from articles published in the Graphic Business newspaper.
