RULES AND Schedule
PREAMBLE
The „International Student Business Competition: A Mysterious Business Case“ is an event created in 2023 at the Prague University of Economics and Business by one of its academics. Given the success of this event, in late 2023/beginning 2024, it was developed as a more ambitious project and this project was submitted as a proposal for funding to the Visegrad Fund in late January 2024. In April 2024, the Visegrad Fund decided to sponsor this project (under No. 22410011), granting it the initially demanded 19,800 EUR.
The project has been administrated and organized by the Prague University of Economics and Business and has been be carried out thanks to the participation of three partner universities from the other three countries of the V4 region. These universities are:
Nysa University of Applied Sciences
The Matej Bel University
University of Pécs
These three universities and the Prague University of Economics and Business are further referred to as “cooperating universities”. Each cooperating university has been represented by one person, also called “a representative” (typically a professor/teacher).
Furthermore, at the Prague University of Economics and Business, there has been “organizing team” composed of the author of the competition and two student assistants.
The project’s primary goal has been to organize a student business competition in a remote and unknown location. The two subgoals of the project are:
1) to use workshops and teamwork to develop students’ skills to successfully analyze business-oriented case studies and defend solutions to such case studies, and
2) to track students’ personal development.
The second edition is planned for January 2026, to be held again at a mysterious location, but with mostly different participants.
Preregistration
We plan to run a new edition of the competition. However, we cannot guarantee it will take place. Anyway, we will try our best to make it happen. So, you can preregister for our competition by submitting a motivation letter of 400 to 600 words. In the letter, please explain what you expect from the new edition of the international student business competition and why you believe you should participate. The cover letter will be followed up by a qualification round.
We expect the event, scheduled to take place in January 2026, will offer 3 spots for Bachelor’s students from each country in the V4 region, totaling 12 spots. Additionally, we anticipate that 3 candidates from Moldova and 3 from Armenia will be eligible to participate, pending approval.
We would like to inform all interested participants that this event is mentally challenging and requires full engagement. Due to its specific focus and limited budget, the competition will be unable to accommodate individuals with specific medical or dietary needs. Additionally, individuals who are prone to illness or fatigue, particularly during the winter season, are encouraged to refrain from applying. Lastly, the Organizing Team would like to inform participants that failure to comply with any of the competition’s rules may result in immediate exclusion from the event, without the possibility of appeal or remedy.
Applications Round
The Applications Round is open to undergraduate students from any university in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, and Armenia. Applicants must submit a cover letter along with proof of enrollment (a scanned copy of the document is acceptable). Applicants must submit a cover letter explaining why they should be selected and what an ideal competition should like like, along with proof of enrollment (a scanned copy is acceptable). All cover letters will be evaluated by a randomly selected professor and checked for the use of AI tools (AI is prohibited as the Organizing Team is interested in the genuine applicants' words and motivation, not in perfect grammar of the letters).
Qualification Round
In the first week of November 2025, we plan to select the best candidates through a quiz and a short interview. Each country will be guaranteed only 4 or 5 slots. All selected candidates must confirm in writing their participation. Cancellations will incur travel cancellation fees, which the candidates will be required to pay.
Before the event
Before the competition, all candidates will be asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their motivation and current knowledge. The results of the questionnaire will remain anonymous. Failure to submit the questionnaire on time will result in the cancellation of the participant's involvement in the event.
Competition
The participants will depart from their respective destinations to a mysterious location. The expected departure points are Prague/Olomouc, Pécs/Budapest, Katowice/Warsaw, Bratislava/Banská Bystrica/Košice, Chisinau, and Kyiv/Lviv. Participants traveling from distant locations will depart one day before the event begins.
Spontaneous applications opened
Spontaneous candidatures are now open. Three spots have become available due to some candidates not following the event's instructions after qualifying and confirming their participation. First-come, first-served basis applies. Candidates are asked to submit a 500 to 600-word essay discussing their main motivations for joining the event and describing their vision of an ideal competition (will be checked for the use of AI - prohibited). Only serious candidates will be accepted. Cancellation of the participation will result in the payment of cancellation costs.
LAST CALL
Given that some quotas remained unused, the Organizing Team, with the consent of the Visegrad Fund, launched the LAST CALL. Any Bachelor´s student from any V4 university can now apply—those candidates who have already applied but did not qualify need to submit a new application. After the application period ends, there will be a qualification round. The best candidates from the last call go regardless of their origin or university. Now, there are six free spots.
During the LAST CALL, applications will be received.
Any student aged 18 or over and studying a Bachelor’s program at any Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak university can apply regardless of his/her citizenship or place of birth.
Every person can apply only once.
Applications can be sent using the “APPLY NOW” button.
Applications need to include the following:
1) Full name of the applicant and contact information (phone, email).
2) Proof of being a Bachelor’s student or a future 1-year Bachelor’s student (starting his/her studies in Fall 2024) at any university (public or private) in a V4 country (a printscreen or a scan of the proof are sufficient). If an applicant is to become a Master’s student before 31 December 2024, his/her application will not be accepted.
3) A short letter describing why the applicant wants to participate in a competition where an unknown business case will be handed over to randomly composed teams and defended by these teams. Moreover, the participant should describe what an ideal competition should look like. Accepted word count: 400–800 words. The letters are to be checked to figure out whether AI has been used.
Applicants will get confirmation of the receipt of their application from the same email address.
Applications are accessed only by the Organizing team.
The Qualification Round will take place before 31 December 2024.
Applications Round
Applications round (ended for the Prague University of Economics and Business on 31 August as planned, for the Matej Bel University and the University of Pécs on 30 September and for the University of Applied Sciences in Nysa on 31 October). For all other universities of the V4 region, the deadline has been extended by 90 days, until 30 November.
OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES
During the competition, all participating persons – i.e., professors, student assistants and qualified students – but invited experts will be provided with food and accommodation.
For the participation in the competition, no ETCS credits are offered.
All participating persons will be provided with train or bus tickets to and from the destination.
For every country, it must be respected that no student group can travel without the assigned person (i.e., a university’s representative).
All participating persons should respect the fact that the competition lasts 4 days plus there are two days needed for the journey to and from the destination.
Tickets from or to the departure locations will not be paid.
In line with the Green Guidelines of the Visegrad Fund, no participating person can use a private car to the destination. Only the invited experts are allowed.
By accepting to attend the competition or joining the project in general, all participating persons understand that they will be granted no salary or any monetary compensation.
The invited experts are granted an agreed remuneration after they have completed their work.
Everyone attending the competition will have to respect the instructions of the Organizing team to guarantee the smooth organization of the competition. Furthermore, all people attending the competition must inform the Organizing team about any problem without delay.
To improve safety and avoid potential conflicts, no uninvited person or animal will be allowed to access the accommodation facility.
The competition is to be organized as a challenging event where students will have to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and progress, not only as members of an assigned group but also individually. Therefore, individuals with a sensitive personality should refrain from applying to the competition.
Individuals experiencing frequent diseases, especially in winter, are urged to consider their participation in the competition seriously. The rules of the Visegrad Fund do not allow a simple exchange of project participants.