Muhammad Ali Surmawala, a Pakistani student at The George Washington University School of Business, and his team have won the prestigious Intercollegiate Business Strategy Competition (ICBSC).

“It was exciting for me to be part of GW’s team at the competition. Not only was I the only Pakistani on the team, but it was also the first time a team from George Washington University was competing,” Surmawala told the Times of Karachi.

This was the first time a team from the university had participated in the competition, which has provided students with an opportunity to engage in semester-long international strategy competitions using simulations since 1967. The 22 teams participating in this year’s event were from four different countries, making it a challenging and exciting competition.

Muhammad Ali Surmawala was part of the “Zen by GW” team that emerged as the winner, despite being a first-time participant school. The team had to create a fictional multinational company, set up a production facility, and compete against other teams in a simulated multi-segment market. The team’s unique business idea of selling mushroom-infused coffee-alternative beverages caught the attention of the judges and competitors alike.

The GWSB team returned from the final intensive phase held in Anaheim, CA, with two prestigious awards – “Best Overall” and “Best Documents” – in its world, along with many kudos for their outstanding performance.