The 17th "Peak Time" National Business Simulation Competition Finals and Cesim Elite China Region Event Successfully Concluded

From March 28th to 30th, 2025, the 17th "Peak Time" National Business Simulation Competition Finals and the Cesim Elite China Region Event were held at the Haidian Campus of Beijing Normal University. This event was jointly hosted by the Business School of Beijing Normal University, the "Peak Time" Organizing Committee, and Cesim from Finland.

Through intense screening in the preliminary round, with over 2,000 teams from more than 170 institutions participating, 112 teams (including 4 teams of international students in China) gathered at Beijing Normal University, making the scale of the event remarkable. Originating from Northern Europe and introduced to China in 2008, the "Peak Time" competition, with its unique business simulation model, has become a bridge connecting the classroom to the workplace and nurturing future business stars.

(1) Opening Ceremony: A Clash of Minds and an Inspiring Kick - off

On the evening of March 28th, the opening ceremony was grandly held at the Student Activity Center of Beijing Normal University (hereinafter referred to as "BNU"). Zhang Yanyun, a member of the Standing Committee and Associate Secretary of the BNU Party Committee; Yu Xiaolei, the Minister of the Party Committee's Student Work Department; Veijo Kyösti, the Global CEO of CESIM; Qi Yudong, the Dean of the Business School of BNU; Wu Wen, the General Manager of CESIM China; Han Lili, the Associate Secretary of the Party Committee of the Business School of BNU; Hu Conghui, the Associate Dean of the Business School of BNU; Shao Luning, an Associate Professor at the School of Economics and Management of Tongji University (representing the event's coaching teachers); Zhou Jianghua, the Director of the MBA Education Center of the Business School of BNU; Wang Lulu, the Associate Director of the MBA Education Center of the Business School of BNU; Shang Xiaoxia, the Associate General Manager of CESIM China; and Li Yuxiao, an Associate Professor at the Business School of BNU (representing the event's coaching teachers), along with 112 participating teams, attended the event.

Zhang Yanyun, a member of the Standing Committee and Associate Secretary of the BNU Party Committee, started his speech from "the wave of the integration of AI and business." He pointed out that through immersive business simulation scenarios, the event focuses on cultivating young people's digital thinking and strategic decision - making abilities. It is an important practical platform for the construction of new liberal arts and the innovation of business education. It also demonstrates BNU's leading role in promoting AI - empowered education innovation and highlights the influence of the Business School of BNU as a benchmark for domestic business education. He encouraged students to seize the development opportunities of the AI era, showcase their talents in the top - level competition, and strive to be the trailblazers on the future business stage.

Veijo Kyösti, the Global CEO of CESIM, recounted the profound global impact of Cesim's simulation - based teaching from an ordinary story. He shared how this platform stimulates students' strategic thinking and digital capabilities through real - life scenarios, adding a unique international perspective to the event.

Shao Luning, an Associate Professor at Tongji University and a senior coaching teacher representative, shared his insights gained from guiding students in simulation competitions based on his own experiences. He emphasized how practical teaching helps students grow comprehensively, demonstrating the unique value of the event in cultivating comprehensive abilities.

(2) During the Competition: Simulation and Demonstration, with a Focus on AI Banking Strategy

On the evening of March 28th, the competition officially began. Participants became "enterprise leaders" on the Cesim platform and quickly adapted to changes in the simulated market. Both the undergraduate group and the MBA/graduate group showed their skills. Some teams precisely adjusted their strategies, while others took the lead by using data modeling. One participant exclaimed, "Every decision - making process is like a real - life business battle, full of tension and excitement."

On March 29th, the event entered the team introduction and business demonstration stage. Participating teams presented their team styles in English, and the international student teams brought an international perspective. The demonstrations revolved around the "Banking AI Strategy," exploring how AI can optimize banking services and enhance risk management, providing inspiration for the digital transformation of the industry.

This event invited top experts from academia and industry to serve as judges, including the heads of business schools at universities, senior scholars in finance and accounting, and senior executives from large - scale state - owned enterprises, banks, and asset management companies. They not only rigorously evaluated the feasibility of the plans but also offered professional insights on hot topics such as "how to balance innovation and risk with AI" and "how to improve the sustainability of the customer experience," closely connecting the event with industry frontiers and providing valuable career inspiration for students.

This event gathered a heavyweight judging panel from academia and industry, injecting professional depth and industry foresight into the competition. The judging panel included the heads of business schools at top domestic universities, representatives of national - level business administration education guidance institutions, national - level innovation and entrepreneurship research experts, senior scholars in the fields of finance and accounting, the heads of global business school accreditation agencies, senior executives of large - scale state - owned enterprises, and senior bank managers. They evaluated the feasibility of the plans from a rigorous perspective and provided incisive comments on the application of AI in banking strategies, demonstrating the close combination of the event with the frontiers of the financial industry and offering valuable feedback for students to face real - life career scenarios.

(3) Seminar: Empowering Education with Technology through Cesim

On March 29th, the Teachers' Seminar was held in the Jingshi Hall of Jingshi Academy. Focusing on the cutting - edge applications of Cesim's simulation - based teaching and educational innovation, it provided profound practical inspiration for coaching teachers. The event covered sessions on strategic thinking, technology empowerment, and interactive communication.

Zhou Jianghua, a Professor at the Business School of BNU and the Director of the MBA Education Center, delivered a welcome speech. With a warm opening, he narrowed the distance with the teachers, shared the exploration process of the Business School of BNU in business education, and emphasized how Cesim's simulation - based teaching builds a bridge between theory and practice for students, setting the tone for the subsequent discussions.

Li Yuxiao, an Associate Professor at the Business School of BNU and an event coaching teacher, gave a speech titled "Strategic Guidance for Decision - Making, and Thinking Leading Actions." Combining his experience in coaching the event, he talked about how simulation - based teaching cultivates students' strategic vision and execution capabilities, especially the ability to transform knowledge into practical problem - solving skills in team collaboration, resonating with the teachers present.

The CEO of Cesim highlighted the powerful functions of Cesim AI, especially the newly launched "Cesim AI Coach." This new feature provides personalized guidance to students through intelligent analysis, optimizing the team - collaboration and decision - making processes. He also demonstrated how the AI teaching assistant helps teachers design digital - intelligence courses and how the new product "Invest" enhances students' financial insights through investment simulation practices, injecting cutting - edge vitality into business education.

(4) Closing Ceremony: Glory and a New Journey

At 18:00 on the evening of March 30th, the closing ceremony of the 17th "Peak Time" National Business Simulation Competition Finals was grandly held at the Student Activity Center. Hu Conghui, the Associate Dean of the Business School of BNU; Veijo Kyösti, the Global CEO of CESIM; Zhou Jianghua, the Director of the MBA Education Center of the Business School of BNU; Ge Jing, the Director of the MBA and EMBA Center at the School of Management of Xi'an Jiaotong University and the Secretary - General of the Teaching Steering Committee for Business Administration Majors of the Ministry of Education; Xu Tao, a Professor at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship College of Tongji University, the Associate Secretary - General of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Steering Committee of Higher Education Institutions of the Ministry of Education, and the Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Research Center of Tongji University; Xu Guodong, the Head of the East Asia Region of AACSB; Yu Chunling, an Associate Professor in the Marketing Department of the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University; Wu Wen, the General Manager of CESIM China; Shang Xiaoxia, the Associate General Manager of CESIM China; and Li Yuxiao, an Associate Professor at the Business School of BNU (an event coaching teacher), attended the closing ceremony.

Hu Conghui, the Associate Dean of the Business School of BNU, delivered a speech. He said, "Currently, the global business community is undergoing dual transformations in technology and industry. I hope that students will always maintain their spirit of exploration, adhere to a practical attitude, have a global vision, use the experience of this competition as a spark to light up their future career paths, and contribute to the country and society with their business wisdom." He hoped that this event would be a new starting point in students' lives, inspiring them to write more wonderful chapters.

Ge Jing, the Director of the MBA and EMBA Center at the School of Management of Xi'an Jiaotong University and the Secretary - General of the Teaching Steering Committee for Business Administration Majors of the Ministry of Education, delivered a speech. She affirmed the unique value of the Cesim simulation platform and specifically mentioned that the Cesim AI Coach provides human - centered guidance to students, promoting in - depth communication and collaboration in team decision - making and cultivating business talents with both professional skills and teamwork spirit.

Xu Tao, a Professor at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship College of Tongji University and the Associate Secretary - General of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Steering Committee of Higher Education Institutions of the Ministry of Education, shared his insights from the perspective of innovation and entrepreneurship. He said that the innovative solutions presented in the "Banking AI Strategy" proposition reflected the keen insights of young students into industry trends.

Xu Guodong, the Head of the East Asia Region of AACSB and a judge representative, spoke. From an international perspective, he affirmed the educational significance of the "Peak Time" event, especially commending how the Cesim simulation platform helps students develop a global vision and expressing his expectation that they will grow into globally competitive talents.

In this event, "The Koi Team" from Chang'an University and "Duck Factory" from Sun Yat - sen University won the special prizes in the undergraduate group and the MBA/graduate group respectively. "Calm Response Team" from Beijing Normal University also stood out, winning the second place in the MBA/graduate group and the national first prize. The champion - special - prize - winning teams will represent China in the Cesim Elite Global Finals in June.

(5) Not the End: A Spark that Can Start a Prairie Fire, with a Promising Future

This event was not only a feast of wisdom but also a practical exploration of educational innovation. The 112 teams honed their strategic vision and digital capabilities through simulations and demonstrations. The "Banking AI Strategy" proposition enabled their creative ideas and plans to directly address industry needs, from optimizing financial services to dealing with the risks and challenges of digital transformation. These proposals not only demonstrated students' professional qualities but also provided new ideas for the industry.

The Business School of Beijing Normal University, with its mission of "Learn, so as to instruct others; Act, to serve as example to all", built a bridge for cultural integration through this event. The participation of international student teams added an international flavor. Teachers and students from nearly a hundred universities across the country gathered here to exchange ideas, broaden their horizons, and communicate with top experts from academia and industry, jointly painting a diverse picture of business education.

For institutions, the value of Cesim lies in data - driven teaching optimization. The platform records every decision - making step and its results, from market strategy adjustments to the effectiveness of team collaboration, providing scientific evidence for teachers to improve courses and enhance teaching quality. This technological support makes teaching more targeted and offers valuable experience for schools to explore digital - intelligence education.

From the "Peak Time" stage at BNU to the Cesim Elite Global Finals in June, the influence of this event will continue to grow. Whether it is the global journey of the champion teams or the growth footprints of each participant, this wisdom - filled event will inspire more young people to light up the world with their business wisdom and write their own chapters of the times.

Contributed by: Meng Jia, the "Peak Time" Event Organizing Committee

Edited by: Meng Jia, Zhou Jianghua

Reviewed by: Hu Conghui, Sun Zhijun