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The idea to organize a global business simulation challenge was conceived over a year ago. From the very first information-sharing session on July 23, we have traveled a long journey to reach the Global Finals stage where the ACT Global Assessment Certificate™ community is united in this global challenge aimed to develop teamwork and entrepreneurship skills among our students.
After three regional rounds of elimination, 16 teams from 25 schools qualified for the Global Finals. They were then regrouped to form new teams comprising mixed nationalities. On October 15 and 16, we experienced a climatical showdown. Team “Three Little Pigs” snatched the pole position after five rounds of battle among 14 global teams over two days. From the start, it was an extremely tight challenge as the rankings of the top five teams were highly volatile. Initially, the “Three Little Pigs” did not come close to the top five spots. However, they leapfrogged to the third position by Round 4 at the end of Day 1.
The piglets comprised Gregorius Nathanael from Kinderstation Senior High School, Ashley Tinghui Lu from Shanghai Datong High School, and Gabriella Wiandoko from PPPK Petra.
Nathan, the team lead, provided the overall direction and guided the team to make the best choices, which sealed the victory. In Gabriella’s words, the first strategy the piglets adopted was a hit or miss.
Ashley sums up her teamwork experience: “Nathan and Gabriella were warm and friendly. We bonded over conversations on the differences of our cultures and customs, including festivals and eating habits. The strong bond helped us not only to embrace the issues affecting our business result but also to remain focused on achieving our business goals.”
Congratulations to the top five teams and a big shout-out to all participants, teachers, and schools for making the 2022 Global Business Simulation Challenge a huge success! See you next year!
SHINE – Singapore Helm Institute of Education
(Siem Reap, Cambodia)
Rathkhema Chhoun
“Greetings everyone. My name is Rathkhema Chhoun from Singapore Helm Institute of Education from GAC001 class, and this is Khema’s Reflective Learning Journal. I have started GAC001 for almost a month now, and I’m going to provide you with my first impressions. Before the first day of GAC, I was a bit nervous and overwhelmed, mainly because of the amount of subjects I had to take. Before I only took the ELA subjects and a bit of science, but right now, I have Computing, Study Skills, Communication, ELA, and Mathematics which was quite overwhelming. However, it has been almost a month, and I am adjusting quite well to it. I enjoy Listening and Speaking Skills, especially when we learned how to introduce ourselves in social events. This makes me so excited and ready to go to university and career fairs in the future. I will also learn how to write resumes for college and work, and I will also learn how to handle all the independent work which will prepare me very well for my university years. Of course, GAC has a lot of challenges for me to face. I know that there will be more tests and work that I have to do, and it’s scaring me a lot. However, I have found a way to prevent this from happening which is to manage my time better and create a studying schedule. What I mean by this is to set aside time to study for English which could be during my supervised study, independent study, and a bit at home. Also Study Skills will help me learn how to manage my time better so that’s a win-win!”
Rathkhema Chhoun
Shanghai New Epoch Bilingual School
(Shanghai, China)
Wang Xiran
“The GAC course helped me to get a good understanding of university life. To be precise, it brought me a love and yearning for American universities. Most of the time, I used to just sit in the corner of my classroom and take notes on my teacher's whiteboard. I have a great opportunity to present my ideas in class. But in the GAC class, we have a lot of group discussions, which gives everyone enough opportunity to express their thoughts. I really love standing on the podium and sharing some of my unique learning methods with everyone. I later learned that GAC classes are conducted in the same way as most universities in the United States. There is a lot of group work and small class sizes. Not only did it allow me to find what I was striving for, but it also allowed me to learn a lot of application-related skills in advance, such as writing a resume and writing a full essay. I am very grateful to my teacher for letting me study the GAC course. It allowed me to find a new purpose to study, not just to complete exams, but to enter my dream school in the future.”
Wang Xiran
Shanghai New Epoch Bilingual School
“I would like to say a big thank you to GAC program for training me to obtain academic skills and teaching me valuable knowledge across multiple disciplines. Instead of completely relying on textbooks and exams, GAC prefers to teach students with various tasks, allowing students to learn from their experiences. This makes the skills that I gained from GAC long-lasting and can be applied in various situations. For instance, GAC prepared me to confidently complete writing assignments in my future college life since it had many writing assignments that helped me get used to English writing. In addition to this, writing assignments in GAC required the use of citations and fixed formatting, which is common in college work but rare in the daily writing homework of my high school. Though the process of writing correct citations was tiring and frustrating sometimes, I really got to know about academic standards and felt more confident after that. Another quality of GAC that I am grateful for is its rich content across various academic realms. GAC readings exposed me to interesting stories and facts about history, biology, and literature. GAC writing assignments such as the final essay were valuable chances for students to freely choose their interests and research deep into them. For me, GAC was really an enjoyable and memorable experience.”
Liu YuHan
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| Chongqing Bashu Secondary School |
Chongqing |
| Beijing Etown Academy |
Beijing |
| Beijing Huiwen Middle School |
Beijing |
| Guangdong Guangya High School |
Guangzhou |
| Shanghai Huaer Zizhu Academy |
Shanghai |
The University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is among the top public research institutions in the nation. Home to more than 31,000 students, we deliver a world-class education in over 200 areas of study and over 100 graduate programs. From the most prestigious creative writing program in the U.S. to a nationally recognized academic medical center, our balanced excellence in the arts and sciences encourages innovation and exploration across the disciplines.
Our 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio and smaller class sizes than peer institutions allow students to work directly with their professors while gaining real-world experience and valuable, practical skills. And with state-of-the-art academic resources in every field, Hawkeyes have access to personalized support and are equipped with the tools they need to stand out in a competitive workforce.
With more than 600 student organizations on campus, we offer a variety of opportunities to get involved and have fun outside the classroom. The university seamlessly blends into the heart of Iowa City, a top 10 college town that offers all the amenities of a big city in a safe, open environment. What’s more, there are over 100 restaurants, local shops, Big Ten athletics, and music venues within walking distance of campus.
For more information, please visit the following website: https://admissions.uiowa.edu/academics/gac
James Cook University
Established in 1961, James Cook University is located in Cairns, Singapore and Townsville, with study centres in Mackay, Mount Isa, Thursday Island, Atherton and Malanda. Its unique trimester system fast-tracks the Bachelors degree in 2 years and Masters degree in 1 year (depending on the course taken).
Undergraduate Program Direct Entry GAC GPA Requirements
| Course | GAC GPA Requirement |
|---|---|
| Diploma of Higher Education | 1.0 |
| B Arts | 2.6 |
| B Arts/B Science | 3.2 |
| Business/Commerce/Economics/BTHE | 2.6 |
| Psychological Science | 3.4 |
| B Business and Environmental Science | 3.0 |
| B Early Childhood Education | 3.5 |
| B Education (Early Childhood Education) | 3.5 |
| B Information Technology/Cybersecurity | 3.0 |
For inquiries, please reach out to their overseas representatives https://www.jcu.edu.sg/courses-and-study/admissions/our-overseas-representatives
Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) – is located in Cholula, the oldest city in Latin America, whose magic is the result of a combination of art, culture, history, traditions, and modernity. UDLAP is only a two-hour drive from Mexico City, one of the most cosmopolitan and populated cities in the world, and 20 minutes from Puebla, a UNESCO world heritage city. Given its excellent geographic location, close to beaches, forests, and archeological centers, there are cultural, artistic, and recreational activities that enhance a student's university experience.
Credit Transfer
UDLAP accepts credits from the following GAC courses: 004, 005, 006, 010, 027, and 029. These credits transfer directly towards student’s degree, and students can advance one semester depending on their classes and program.
GAC Scholarship
The students who enroll in a Bachelor program and have a GAC GPA above 3.0 will be able to obtain a 40% scholarship. This benefit does not apply to bachelor’s degrees in Medical Surgeon and Nursing.