First launched in 2014, the Global Student Challenge contest sees teams of students studying built environment qualifications pit against one another as they create a virtual organisation to plan and deliver a fictional construction project.

The competition is designed to test their creativity, planning skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and communication – all of which are vital assets when planning and delivering a construction project.

An all-expenses-paid trip to CIOB’s annual Members’ Forum is up for grabs, where the winning team will be able to test their ideas and gain vital feedback from some of the construction industry’s brightest minds.

To top it off, the winning team will also land a £2,000 cash prize while sums of cash will also be handed out to the teams finishing second and third place.

Kate Macbeth, director of marketing and digital at CIOB, said: “I am pleased to once again be appealing to the most talented built environment students from around the world to step forward and take part in CIOB’s Global Student Challenge.

“This rare and unique competition gives the industry’s top prospects a chance to show they are the modern professionals of the future and test their skills in a life-like simulation of an exciting but challenging construction project.

“We’re delighted to be welcoming applications from September this year so that we can make the contest more inclusive for universities around the globe and give teams more time to enter.

“I can’t wait to start receiving entries for 2024 and seeing which team will come out on top.”

The 2024 challenge will once again use CIOB’s hugely successful online platform called Sim Venture Validate - used by a wide range of universities for various subjects to build employability and enterprise skills in curricular and extra-curricular learning environments.

A high-profile panel of expert judges will include:

• Peter Dawber FCIOB FRICS, Sisizakele Kubheka MCIOB
• Professor Ts. Dr. Rahinah Ibrahim, FASc FIVMM
• Professor Tabarak Musa Awad Ballal, BSc (Hons), MBA, PhD, FCIOB, SFHEA, UTF
• Thomas Donoghue, MCIOB, FCMI.

Last year’s competition saw a team of four construction students from Universitas Indonesia scoop the top accolade – fending off competition from 37 other teams. They described winning the competition as “part of their dreams” and said the competition “will be our first step in entering professional careers in sustainable project management.”

For more information or to register for the 2024 Global Student Challenge visit the website.

Registration closes on 31 January 2024 with the competition taking place between February and April. The winning team will be announced on 18 April 2024.