News Article

Students explore business and pleasure in the Middle East


4/23/2010 10:15:15 AM


Team Crush at CNA’s campus in Qatar. From left, Jess Walsh, Business Management -Marketing; Stephanie Pretty, Business Management-Accounting; Henry Ward, Business Management-Accounting; Cyril Clancy, Hospitality Tourism Management; Paul Dunne, Coach; and Chad Butler, Business Management-Marketing. Butler served as an alternate for the team in case a member fell ill during competition.

After a robust challenge amongst six enthusiastic teams in the Fourth Annual College of the North Atlantic (CNA) Business Case competition in February, Prince Philip Drive’s Team Crush walked away with the gold – and a trip to CNA’s campus in the Middle East in March.

The team had the opportunity apply its wares in the International Case Competition held in Doha, Qatar over a three-day, four-round competition with eight teams from colleges and universities from throughout the United Arab Emirates. The work was hard and the competition fierce, says Team Crush competitor Stephanie Pretty, and it made for an exceptional experience.

“The real learning experience came with watching other groups present. It was eye opening to see what other minds brought to the table in creativity and ingenuity,” says Pretty.

“I was amazed at the quality of work all teams were able to provide in such a stressful and short timeframe.”

The winning team was Stenden University in Doha; Team Crush placed fifth overall.

“It was both an awe-inspiring and a humbling experience. Our competitors were exceptional and I felt privileged to be ranked amongst them.”

In the four-year history of the Business Case competition in Newfoundland and Labrador, this is the second time winning teams were sent to compete in the international competition in Doha; CNA-Q has been hosting their international event for five years.

Mary Vaughan is the Dean of Business and IT at CNA. She was a proponent of sending the winning Newfoundland and Labrador team to Doha for the one-of-a-kind experience.

“As competitors in the international competition, they are not only challenged with cases that will push them further in their capabilities, but it also provides them with a cultural experience that brings a different context to the field of business – one with a global perspective,” says Vaughan.

“This can only serve to enhance their employability skills no matter where in the world they chose to work.”

When they arrived on the ground in Doha, the team was stunned by the beauty of the city and the CNA-Q campus.

“Qatar is a beautiful country that is completely opposite from what we are used to – it is the desert where temperatures can soar up to 50° Celsius in the summer. We have more rainfall here in an afternoon then they do all year round!” Pretty says.

“Then we got our first glimpse of the campus in Qatar – breathtaking! There are numerous buildings with glass and skylights as the main focus, allowing tons of natural light into the college. The students and staff were most gracious and kind.”

There are several must-do activities when in Doha, and the group tried to take them all in when they had some free moments.

“We had an opportunity to go sand duning. The six of us piled into a Toyota Land Cruiser with a hired driver and went to the desert to drive up and down sand dunes and visit the inland sea. This activity came highly recommended from many expats and former visitors. It was certainly a roller coaster ride! We slid down dunes hundreds of feet high,” shares Pretty.

“We visited the inland sea which is actually more like a harbour. Beautiful sandy beaches in the Persian Gulf and visible across the sea was Saudi Arabia. It sounds like a dream!”

The group also had the opportunity to take in the pearl exhibit at the Museum of Islamic Art.

“It was room after room of exquisite pearl collections. There was a beautiful rug made with over 1.4 million pearls and other precious stones (Pearl Rug) and Marilyn Monroe’s pearls that were gifted to her by husband Joe DiMaggio were also on display. The exhibit also featured the history of pearls and the Middle East’s love affair with pearls and pearling. Before there was oil and gas, there were pearls and the Qataris are very proud of this and it is evident in the stunning display.”

The weather was beautiful, the people incredibly friendly and the city bright and alive with a promising future, says Pretty, one that had become extraordinarily wealthy very quickly.

“We were told stories of men who grew up in Bedouin tents in the desert and now their young adult children are driving Porsches due to their considerable ‘overnight’ wealth from oil and gas reserves. I was genuinely surprised to see the heavy presence of western influence mixed with the very private and traditional Islamic culture. We would see women fully clothed in burqas (a black robe worn over day clothes by women in Islamic cultures); and covering even their faces completely but wearing very flashy stiletto shoes,” she says.

“It was the single most culturally significant and greatest educational experience I have ever had in my life. I was proud and grateful to be a part of the team that was selected to go to Qatar. I am indebted to College of the North Atlantic for this invaluable experience. It has certainly added an intangible value to my complete education experience.”

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Media Contact:

Tanya Alexander
Public Relations Specialist, Qatar Project
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.0811
tanya.alexander@cna.nl.ca

OR

Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
Marketing and Communications
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca