Foreign Trade University Hanoi students win HSBC Business Case Competition

A team from Foreign Trade University Hanoi won the championship title, the first time the university has taken the top position in the competition. The national champion will represent Vietnam at the Asia-Pacific Regional Final in Hong Kong (China) in June 2026.

The year 2026 marks the 11^th anniversary of the HSBC Business Case Competition in Vietnam, reflecting a sustained commitment to fostering academic excellence, strategic thinking, and global competitiveness among Vietnamese students.

This year’s competition attracted top-performing students from leading universities across Hanoi, Hue, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City, creating a highly competitive academic platform. After multiple selection rounds, the four best teams from VinUni University, Foreign Trade University Hanoi, Foreign Trade University Ho Chi Minh City, and RMIT University Ho Chi Minh City advanced to the national round held in Ho Chi Minh City.

In the final round, each team of four students was given the same business case and had three hours to develop their solution. Teams then presented to a judging panel consisting of senior leaders from HSBC Vietnam and VietSeeds Foundation.

Each team had 20 minutes to present and 15 minutes for Q&A, during which all assumptions, figures, and strategic decisions were scrutinised. In this context, decision-making, logical thinking, and the ability to defend viewpoints were key differentiators.

This year’s case focused on strategies to develop and expand K-pop in international markets, particularly China. Teams were required to balance growth ambitions, cultural considerations, and feasibility in a complex market environment. Beyond its relevance, the case was also highly relatable to students, as K-pop is a familiar domain for the younger generation. This enabled participants to apply market understanding to actionable business strategies.

In addition to solving the case under time constraints, teams demonstrated diverse approaches in building their solutions. The distinction was not in finding a single “correct” answer, but in how each team set direction, assessed trade-offs, and constructed arguments to support its strategy.

After several hours of competition, the team from Foreign Trade University Hanoi emerged as the champion, winning a prize of VND50 million ($1,923). The team was recognised for a compelling presentation, strong logical structure, and a well-developed strategy.

The team’s solution was highly regarded for its consistency from problem framing to solution development and execution. Instead of approaching the case at the level of organising concerts, the team expanded its perspective to address the broader strategic ecosystem of K-pop in the region, thereby identifying key growth drivers and barriers.

Based on a clear analytical foundation and insights closely aligned with market realities, the team proposed two complementary strategic directions: expanding demand through experience-driven approaches, while ensuring long-term industry growth through partnerships and audience expansion.

Notably, their recommendations went beyond conceptual ideas, being translated into a structured implementation roadmap with clear resource allocation and risk considerations. This ability to convert strategic thinking into practical execution was a critical factor in convincing the judging panel in a case with no single correct answer.

The first runner-up was the team from RMIT University Ho Chi Minh City, which received a prize of VND30 million ($1,155). Two second runner-up teams from VinUni University and Foreign Trade University Ho Chi Minh City each received VND20 million ($770).

Commenting on the competition’s quality this year, Phillip Wright, COO, HSBC Vietnam, stated, “We have observed clear improvements among teams across each round, particularly in their ability to analyse problems and make decisions under time pressure. These are critical competencies in today’s business environment and form a strong foundation for students to confidently compete at regional and international levels.”

As a long-time partner of the competition, Huyen Ton Nu Cat Tuong, co-founder and executive director of VietSeeds Foundation said, “The competition not only provides students with an opportunity to challenge themselves but also helps them better understand how businesses operate in reality. Over the years, we have seen significant growth in students’ systems thinking, teamwork capabilities, and their ability to approach problems from a practical perspective.”

Looking ahead to the Asia-Pacific Regional Final in Hong Kong (China) in June 2026, the Vietnamese representative team will compete with peers from countries and territories including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Hong Kong (China). The event provides a competitive platform and an opportunity to demonstrate the readiness of Vietnamese youth to adapt to the global business environment, where strategic thinking and decision-making are increasingly critical.

Nguyen Ngoc Thuy Linh, representative of the champion team said, “The biggest challenge was not just the time constraint, but making decisions and defending them against different perspectives. Following the competition, we are actively training with expert mentors to prepare for the upcoming regional round.”

Beyond being an academic competition, the HSBC Business Case Competition also reflects the long-term commitment of HSBC Vietnam and VietSeeds Foundation to investing in education, nurturing young talent, and contributing to Vietnam’s future development.

Winners of HSBC Business Case Competition 2025 unveiled Tthe HSBC Business Case Competition (HSBC BCC) 2025 named the winning team from RMIT University Ho Chi Minh City on April 22.

HSBC arranges $200m syndicated loan for GELEX Infrastructure HSBC Vietnam has arranged a $200 million syndicated term loan for GELEX Infrastructure, marking the company's debut offshore US dollar financing.

HSBC forecasts Vietnam's GDP growth to hit 6.7 per cent in 2026 HSBC has said it expects Vietnam's GDP growth to hit 6.7 per cent this year, down from an 8 per cent expansion last year.