Application of textbook knowledge

Creativity may be shown in myriad ways but how many can depict it with numbers? How many can look beyond the numbers and come up with excellent implementable ideas? Presumably many may back out when it comes to dealing with decoding financial jargons and forecasting the future with numbers but the scenario was whole lot a different on December 17, 2017 at the grand finale of Alliance Capital presents Blueprints 3.0, a financial modelling competition, held at North South University.

Team Hobbits from North South University, Counter Logic from the Institute of Business Administration, Dhaka University and Last Straw from BRAC University have shown excellence at the finale of Blueprints 3.0 and won the title of champion, first runner-up and second runner-up respectively winning a total prize money of Tk 3.5 lac from which Tk 200,000 was allotted for the champion, Tk 100,000 for first runner-up and Tk 50,000 for second runner-up.

In an attempt to create more finance professionals NSU Finance Club, a co-curricular club under the department of Accounting and Finance, North South University launched the third edition of Blueprints 3.0 on November 15 by opening the online registration for maximum participation from all over the country. More than 120 teams registered for the country's first and biggest competition on financial modelling and after the first round top 20 teams were selected for the second round where teams had to present in front of the judges. After the second round top seven teams made it to the finale of the country's most prestigious competition on finance.

The grand finale of Blueprints 3.0 was held at the auditorium lounge in North South University. The finale was made special by the presence of the finance secretary of Bangladesh, Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury. During his speech he reflected on the fact that competitions like this helps to build more knowledgeable candidates for the future who are going to be excellent professionals and help to build a better country. Furthermore, he said, ‘When we used to study we had to learn everything from books but nowadays there are competitions which are helping to expand the creative minds of the country which will help them to shine in their respective fields’. In the grand finale, Chairman of Board of Trustees, North South University, and Mohammad Shahjahan congratulated the finalists and praised NSU Finance Club for arranging a competition in which future finance professionals are created and said the university has plans for financial studies in the future.

Kh Asadul Islam, managing director and CEO of Alliance Capital Asset Management Limited, praised all the participants and NSU Finance Club for arranging such a competition. He further said, ‘Today's youths will lead our country in the near future and it is our responsibility that we take care of them and spend for their future endeavours’. He emphasised creating more experts in the finance sector by saying ‘Public sector is the engine and private sector is the fuel and you need experience to run these both’. The finale was made more special by the presence of Professor GU Ahsan, Pro-VC, North South University and Gouro Gobindo Goswami, treasurer of North South University and faculty adviser of the club, Muhammad Nasiruddin.

After handing over the crests and checks to the top three teams, the CEO of Alliance Capital Asset Management Limited made an announcement, listening to which the participants were taken aback. He announced to give Tk 20,000 to the rest of the four teams who unfortunately could not cement a title but were superb in the final presentation of Blueprints 3.0.

The winning teams were loaded with joy after the prize giving ceremony and shared their experience of Blueprints 3.0. Bilkish Barkat, from the champion team said, ‘Blueprints 3.0 was one of those unique competitions with investment banking and real-life simulation of the capital market that tested our capabilities as contestants at finding or reaching at the best possible solutions to the given cases. We worked as investment managers in round one where our analytical skills were tested when we had to choose the best possible investment. This competition taught us the application of text book knowledge that we had gained previously into real life situations’.

The ceremony ended by giving crests to all the co-sponsors— IFIC Bank, National Bank, Visa Centre and valued partners of the competition.

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