The San Marcos Sustainable Business Challenge

Posted on: 16 June 2021 by Richard Finch in Enterprise

The San Marcos Sustainable Business challenge was an online challenge that took place across multiple days, 31st March - 9th April 2021.

University of Liverpool students were joined by other students from Peru and China to work in cross-university interdisciplinary teams on a real-world challenge around the theme of sustainable international business. This year the challenge was focused on Sustainable Development Goals within the setting of San Marcos, Peru. 

All teams will had the opportunity to pitch their ideas as part of the San Marcos Sustainability Conference. With an interest in sustainability issues, student were provided with support, including receiving guidance and advice on your proposed solutions from dedicated “Sustainability challenge mentors”. 

The challenge was made up of  some  live sessions but students were also required to work with their team to arrange times to meet virtually to collaborate, develop ideas, and create a digital pitch. The delivery team were on hand to support students from start to finish, sharing tips and resources along the way!

Students on the challenge got to:

• Gain experience working on an exciting project which is informed by real-world issues and demonstrate their ability to work effectively as part of a cross-cultural diverse team. This is highly attractive to graduate employers! 
  
  
• Develop a wide range of key skills which are in demand in the graduate labour market, such as sustainability and commercial awareness, problem-solving and adaptability.

• Increase their awareness of graduate opportunities and build personal and professional networks with like-minded students and employers looking to recruit talented graduates. 

Alexander Moore participated in this year’s challenge, here is what he had to say:

"Hello, my name is Alexander Moore and I’m a graduating contemporary human geography master student at the University of Liverpool.

I wanted to participate in the San Marcos sustainability challenge having been involved in a similar project with the careers department before and finding it useful in a number of ways which have all been reflected in the San Marcos challenge.

For one, it is very wholesome and rewarding to meet and discuss with other students who share a passion for sustainability. While in my geography lectures everyone has their specialisms; whether that’s gender studies or tourism; but within the challenge everyone has a keen interest in sustainability and wants to hear everyone’s ideas.

On the other hand, with students coming from a variety of degrees and cultural backgrounds, they all had refreshing ideas and examples coming from their degree programmes and personal experiences.

As a business orientated challenge, it feels like a simulated work environment; further removed from the handholding of university groupwork it places more responsibility on yourself. Working to solve a problem of sustainability, which has become a real buzzword in business; creating a positive team where everyone can contribute; organising yourselves to delegate tasks and work through your ideas with the introduction of new tools such as the business model canvas; of course, all of these things being a great thing to put on CVs and mention to employers.

While you are independent you are by no means alone, having been involved in two of these challenges I can say that I haven’t encountered students who weren’t engaged and committed to the challenge; which I attribute to their enthusiasm around sustainability.

Also, by having time with experts it allows you to really finalise ideas as well as reinvigorate confidence in it by defending your teams choices and having someone with experience in the field validate its viability.  

My advice to students undertaking the challenge is to really engage with the team; ask them questions even if its unrelated as part of getting to know them and get involved with the discussions which will make the experience much more enjoyable.

But remember, it is still an employability exercise and another really helpful thing is to make notes relating to employability skills as you go along. Make a note when you take an action to further involve a more timid team member; when you’re taught a new business management tool make a note of the name so you can mention it as a skill later or note down specifically what jobs or roles you had within the group. Because these details are what will make you stand out to employers and demonstrate that you’re attentive to learning from experience.

Thank you for reading and I hope these reflections have been useful to you."

If this challenge sounds like something you are interested in, then join The Green Room from Careers & Employability to be first to hear about all upcoming enterprise opportunities and challenges.