We believe that (national and international) competitions are the best way to get the best out of yourselves, thus helping companies to find the best solutions. More than 350 of our students have already participated! Several bronze, silver and even gold medals have already been won.

Critical thinking under pressure is the essence of every case competition – to solve a problem under a time limit and to present your solution to judges. Case competitions also provide many opportunities to meet employers and professionals. 

This creates a win-win situation:

Businesses and governments meet the students they would like to recruit; students build their network and develop exactly those skills that companies are looking for today.

Case competitions are large (inter)national student events that usually last about a week and in which you and your team try to solve a problem of a real company. You participate in matches that are judged by professionals. In addition, you join the other participating international students in all kinds of social and cultural activities.

“

I wouldn’t know how to explain in a few lines what the case competitions have brought me. Those few lines should be so powerful and all-encompassing that I can imagine it would decrease credibility and a student would think “Yeah, sure.” It has had that much impact on my personal development, study and career!

Guus van Haastregt
student Rotterdam University AS (Finance)

Case competitions are an extremely effective way of preparing you for your future career as the competitive setting forces you to get the best out of yourself. You and your individual expertise are an important part of the team but only together, in co-creation, your team will be able to come up with solutions that are even better than those of other teams. You will have to use all your managerial skills to achieve a joint optimal result: problem solving, critical reasoning, timing, analytical thinking, teamwork skills, confidence and other personal and professional skills. Being able to think critically and conveying a message clearly can help you become a respected decision maker in your career.

Case competitions provide many opportunities to meet possible employers and professionals. This is the essence of a case competition – to solve a real problem under a time limit and to present it to professional judges. This way, on the one hand you help companies to solve difficult problems, on the other hand the competitions are also a platform on which you can show all your qualities. A huge plus on your resume!

However, the most important thing is the fun you will have with case competitions. Competing for the best solutions for days – sometimes against teams from your own university, but often against teams from universities all over the world – is really top sport! The tension, the adrenaline, the emotions, the social events afterwards, the friendships for life … we can promise you: a case competition will always be a highlight of your student career.

Domestic Case Competitions

Every year RICA organises a number of case competitions at our own university. Some are exclusively for our own students such as the Honours Programme Case Competition (HPCC) and the Rotterdam Case Competition (RCC), others are also intended for participation by students from our international partners such as the Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA) and the Rotterdam International Case Competition Bootcamp (RICCB).

International Case Competitions

RICA has a worldwide network of case partners, universities that – like Rotterdam – also organise international competitions. For some we have to qualify, but most participations are by invitation. That’s why we don’t know long in advance which competitions we will participate in every year, but in recent years it has been about at least eight competitions annually. These competitions take place everywhere: in Canada, USA, China, Mexico, Spain, Hungary and many other countries.

Domestic Case Competitions

Every year RICA organises a number of case competitions at our own university. Some are exclusively for our own students such as the Honours Programme Case Competition (HPCC) and the Rotterdam Case Competition (RCC), others are also intended for participation by students from our international partners such as the Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA) and the Rotterdam International Case Competition Bootcamp (RICCB).

International Case Competitions

RICA has a worldwide network of case partners, universities that – like Rotterdam – also organise international competitions. For some we have to qualify, but most participations are by invitation. That’s why we don’t know long in advance which competitions we will participate in every year, but in recent years it has been about at least eight competitions annually. These competitions take place everywhere: in Canada, USA, China, Mexico, Spain, Hungary and many other countries.

News

Another Medal for Rotterdam!

In March 2025, a team from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences traveled to China to compete in a groundbreaking event. For the first time, the renowned Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) organized a major international case competition in mainland China, in collaboration with Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics....
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GOLD FOR ROTTERDAM AT ROCA

In November, a team of four students from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences achieved the impossible: in a highly competitive field featuring top universities from around the world, they emerged as the best consulting team. More than a year of preparation led up to the prestigious ROCA: the Rotterdam-Carleton International...
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A thrilling competition in Rotterdam is coming up

An exciting top event is now fast approaching: the Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA). From November 17 to November 22, top student teams from around the world will compete for the coveted ROCA trophy. Together with the knowledge center Business Innovation, the Case Academy is currently writing cases focused on...
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