The Faculty of Business Administration & Economics (FBAE) at Notre Dame University-Louaize Shouf Campus (NDU-SC), in collaboration with the Office of Admissions, organized on Friday, March 9, 2018, its second annual edition of “Young Entrepreneur Showdown” (YES NDU-SC). This competition is a valuable learning experience, which aims to acquaint high school students to the concepts and practices of business start-ups and the entrepreneurial mindset by encouraging them to perceive business opportunities and develop them.
During the competition, teams from different schools in Shouf pitched their business ideas in front of a jury panel composed of Dr. Talie Kaassamany, Souhad Abi Zaki, and Mirna Beaini, and in the presence of their classmates as well as NDU students. Faculty members evaluated their ideas based on several preset criteria, including the extent of innovation, the likelihood of realization, relevance to the Lebanese context, feasibility, clarity, presentation skills, etc.
Following discussions and deliberations, the jury announced the following winners:
- First prize: Kfarhim Official Secondary School – 100% Scholarship for first semester at the SC;
- Second prize: Mokhtara Official Secondary School- 75% Scholarship for first semester at the SC; and
- Third prize: Shouf National College – 50% Scholarship for the first semester at the SC.
Additionally, students from the three schools won training sessions on design thinking and social entrepreneurship to further develop their ideas and acquire the proper knowledge and practices to become future entrepreneurs and change makers.
The jury concluded the competition by thanking the students for their interest in the competition and for their participation, and stressed the importance of initiative-taking and pursuing business opportunities.