ULI and Hines, the international real estate firm, have announced the opening of the 2021 ULI Hines Student Competition–Europe, a team challenge for university and business school students from across the region that tests their skills in applying their knowledge of all aspects of real estate and land use in a practical case study. Applications are now open, and the deadline for submitting entries is January 31, 2021.
The ULI Hines Student Competition–Europe, now in its second year, is affiliated with the North American version, which was established in 2002. Longtime ULI member and benefactor Gerald D. Hines, founder of the Hines real estate organization, initiated the competition with a generous endowment after he received the ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, the Institute’s highest honor. Team registrations are due December 4 for the Americas competition.
The competition offers eligible students the opportunity to form multidisciplinary teams and engage in a challenging, 360-degree exercise in responsible land use, focusing on the changing shape of office environments. Students working in teams of four will address a challenge assessing their understanding of the core components of real estate design, development, investment, and finance, as well as social and environmental issues that affect decisions regarding land use and sustainable development.
The first stage of the competition requires teams to submit a pre-qualification questionnaire, details about each team member, and a brief video via the ULI website. Entries will be reviewed by ULI and Hines, with a maximum of eight teams selected for the final stage, which is due to take place in April 2021.
The winning team members will receive:
- a fast track to the Hines internship program;
- a guided tour of an ongoing project and participation in project meetings in Hines’s European offices (as travel restrictions allow); and
- a one-year ULI membership, providing access to research content, events, webinars, education and mentorship programs, knowledge sharing, and connections with a multidisciplinary global network of real estate and land use professionals.
“Following the successful launch earlier this year of the ULI Hines Student Competition–Europe, we have been eager to get underway with plans for its return,” said Lars Huber, chief executive officer of Hines Europe. “We are very proud of our long-term commitment to ULI and to support young professionals in creating better communities.
“This competition is about driving innovation and encouraging the generation of new ideas to approach land use problems from different angles and perspectives. It is also about supporting students to get on the career ladder, and all finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of senior real estate leaders, with the winners receiving a fast track to the Hines internship program.”
Said Lisette van Doorn, chief executive of ULI Europe, “Creating and sustaining thriving communities is at the heart of ULI’s mission, and to successfully achieve this it is especially important that we attract and retain the best and most diverse talent to our industry to support us in what we do.
“This competition is a perfect example of everything ULI stands for, with a multidisciplinary, multigenerational collaboration focused on thought leadership, learning, and sharing best practices,” she said. “We look forward to receiving the entries for the 2021 edition, for which we expect there to be a great deal of interest to take part following the positive feedback that we received on the first edition.”
Four students from Politecnico di Milano won the 2020 ULI Hines Student Competition–Europe, in which teams were challenged to prepare a plan for the redevelopment of a fictional city center location (see video below).
Access details of how to apply for the 2021 ULI Hines Student Competition–Europe.
