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ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ students shine at Keen Minds Global 2026 competition

Thursday, 17 September, 2026

Students from ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ London (Canary Wharf) have earned a place on the podium at , a live client business case competition. 

Competing against teams from universities across the UK and Europe, BSU secured third place overall, with one team member also receiving the individual Best Presenter award. 

Keen Minds is an international competition in which students analyse a real business challenge and pitch their recommendations to a panel of judges. The students receive their case brief only 48 hours before the competition and must research, develop and refine their proposals under considerable time pressure. For the BSUL team, this was their first experience of a business competition of this scale. 

The live clients were , a luxury tea company supplying leading hotels and restaurants, and , which operates destination hotels across North Wales and Cumbria. Senior representatives from both organisations attended the event, judged the presentations and gave feedback on the students’ recommendations. 

The team was coached by Tanya Vidanagama, Senior Lecturer in Business and Management and Link Tutor at BSU's Newton Park campus, and Mohammad Mahmoud Suleiman Abuassaf, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader at BSUL (Canary Wharf). 

Talking about working on the project and with the team, Tanya said: 

“When I was offered the opportunity to take a team to Keen Minds, I immediately thought about extending it to my colleague Mohammad at our Canary Wharf site. We knew the students there had the potential to benefit enormously from an experience like this. Watching the team grow in confidence, support one another and achieve this brilliant result was incredibly rewarding. We could not be prouder of what they've accomplished." 

Mohammad Abuassaf said the team's achievement was especially relevant as a representation of non-traditional learners, which make up a large proportion of learners studying at Canary Wharf. Explaining further, he said: 

"The result clearly demonstrates the students’ resilience, commitment and willingness to step outside their comfort zones. More importantly, it shows what non-traditional learners can achieve when they are given the opportunity, encouragement and belief to demonstrate their abilities on a wider stage." 

Reflecting on the team's success, second year Business and Management student Daniella Yohans said: 

"Hearing my name called to the stage to receive the Best Presenter award was such a proud moment, made even more special by our team winning third place." 

Second year Business and Management student Alina Lofty added:  

"This experience taught me the importance of getting involved and being heard. [Receiving validation] that our team and coaches' creative solutions can drive real world change has inspired me to take on many more challenges!" 

Second year Business and Management student Anthony Sarpong said: 

"I am incredibly proud to have taken part in this competition alongside my brilliant fellow students, with the amazing guidance and support of our coaches. Taking part in such a wide competition, with students from universities across the UK and Europe, has been an amazing and unforgettable experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to challenge myself, learn from others, and represent my university. 

"This experience has taught me something very important: never think it is too late to achieve your goals. There is always a chance to improve, grow, and succeed." 

Professor Georgina Andrews, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ added:  

“This is a fantastic achievement for our students at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ London. Reaching the podium in an international competition, against teams from universities across the UK and Europe, is a powerful demonstration of their professional creativity, resilience and ability to apply their learning to real-world challenges. We are incredibly proud of the whole team and of the staff who supported them to step up to this challenge.” 

Find out more about studying Business and Management at BSUL (Canary Wharf) on our website.