The national finals of the 15th IMA Student Management Accounting Case Competition concluded successfully in Beijing on June 13, 2026. The SAY YES Team from Beijing Normal University Business School (BNUBS) stood out among participating teams from numerous universities, claiming the national championship by virtue of solid professional expertise, innovative solution frameworks and outstanding on-site presentation. The remarkable achievement fully demonstrates the exceptional professional competence and positive mental outlook of BNUBS students.

Hosted by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), the IMA Student Management Accounting Case Competition is a prestigious high-level professional contest with extensive global influence in the field of management accounting. The China Division competition consists of three rounds: preliminary contests, regional finals and the national grand finals, all of which adopt blind review mechanisms. Grounded in authentic corporate case studies, the competition focuses on practical challenges including corporate strategic management, operational decision-making, value creation and digital transformation. It is designed to cultivate students’ capacity to analyze and resolve real-world business dilemmas with management accounting thinking, while sharpening their innovative awareness, practical capabilities and global vision.

The SAY YES Team comprises five undergraduates from the Accounting Department of BNUBS: Zhang Yanyu, Zhang Zilin, Zhang Mingyang, Li Xiaoyu and Duan Yuanjin, with Associate Professor Li Yuxiao serving as their faculty advisor. During the preliminary round, team members divided responsibilities and collaborated closely to refine the case framework, data analytics and presentation materials iteratively, polishing their proposed solutions repeatedly. Their outstanding performance secured them a spot in the North China Regional Final. In the regional contest, the team leveraged their comprehensive disciplinary strengths, systematically dissecting and presenting the case by integrating knowledge spanning management accounting, financial analysis, strategic management and marketing research. They ultimately claimed the regional championship, qualifying to compete against six other regional winners for the national top honor at the grand finals. At the national championship round, the team delivered poised and confident presentations and Q&A defenses supported by a lucid, rigorous logical structure and thorough, credible data evidence, winning unanimous recognition from the panel of expert judges. They ranked first in overall scoring and were awarded the National Grand Prize.

This outstanding accolade stems from the team’s diligent research and seamless teamwork, and also embodies BNUBS’s long-standing talent cultivation philosophy of integrating theoretical instruction with hands-on practice. Participation in elite professional competitions such as the IMA Student Management Accounting Case Competition enables students to deepen their grasp of management accounting theories and real business operations, and enhances their proficiency in deploying multidisciplinary expertise to address tangible commercial challenges.

Contributed by Accounting Department

Edited by  Li Yuxiao

Reviewed by Jiang Jie