The Asian Strategy Challenge (ASC) represents the pinnacle of practical business education at ESSEC Asia-Pacific, transforming SMIB students into strategic consultants through intensive engagement with real business problems faced by actual companies operating across Asia’s complex markets. This immersive experience bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and professional consulting practice, preparing students for careers in management consulting while demonstrating their analytical capabilities to potential employers.

Real-World Consulting Practice and Skills Development

The ASC’s authenticity lies in its genuine business context, where students collaborate directly with companies facing actual strategic challenges rather than hypothetical case studies.

Partner organizations spanning diverse industries—from multinational corporations to regional market leaders—present complex problems requiring immediate solutions, creating the pressure and relevance that characterize professional consulting environments while exposing students to different strategic contexts and market dynamics.

Jiaying Jin, a SMIB student, reflects on her experience: “This project is teaching me not just the ‘what,’ but the ‘how’—how to adapt, collaborate, and problem-solve under pressure. We can use what we learn in the classroom in the real world. So it is a unique career experience for us to learn how to make strategy for our clients.”

Through direct client interaction, students master essential consulting skills including stakeholder management, executive communication, and the ability to translate complex analytical insights into actionable strategic recommendations, while developing presentation skills that enable them to communicate findings to senior executives using the clear, compelling formats that consulting firms employ for client engagement.

Team Collaboration and Leadership Experience

The challenge’s team-based structure replicates professional consulting environments where diverse skill sets and perspectives combine to address complex client challenges. Students learn to manage team dynamics, coordinate different analytical workstreams, and integrate individual contributions into cohesive strategic recommendations.

These leadership experiences prove valuable for consulting recruitment processes, where teamwork and leadership potential are key factors in hiring decisions.

SMIB alumna Soraya Saint-Marc highlights the importance of consistency: “The experience has taught me that communication is crucial—and while it is not a big deal if you communicate too much, it is an issue if you don’t communicate enough. The ASC is a six-month project, and you must work the same amount each week, regardless of your academic workload. These are valuable opportunities where students can learn the ropes of consulting and gain insights into new industries.”

Regional Market Expertise and Career Development

The ASC offers comprehensive exposure to Asian business environments, regulatory frameworks, and market dynamics essential for consulting careers focused on regional markets, developing understanding of how political, economic, and cultural factors influence business strategy across different Asian economies while building industry-specific insights and broad business knowledge that characterizes successful management consultants.

SMIB program alumna Ksheera Rangarajan shares that “Coming from a computer engineering-related background, I find learning the ropes of a new industry exciting. I’ve understood the nuances of being a consultant—which is very different from being an engineer—and am glad to do this with such a robust ESSEC support system behind me.”

This regional expertise proves particularly valuable for international consulting firms seeking professionals who understand Asian market complexities while possessing analytical capabilities for serving multinational clients across diverse sectors.