The #WorldCaseTeachingDay – celebrated this year on February 5th – reminds us why the case method is uniquely positioned to create value in higher education. It has proved its effectiveness in three dimensions: transferring knowledge, advancing skills, and guiding students in their self-development, – the latter becomes even more vital in the new age of AI.
Business school professors at the University of Limassol CIIM Business School – UoL / University of Limassol are embracing interactive pedagogical methods, including the case method – following the best practices from the leading business schools globally.
On the occasion of the #WorldCaseTeachingDay, we are happy to feature our own ‘champion’ of case teaching and case writing Dr Olga Kandinskaia, Associate Professor of Finance and Postgraduate Program Director at the CIIM Business School of the University of Limassol. An award-winning case writer and a passionate advocate of innovative teaching methods in business education, including experiential learning, case method, and blended learning, Dr Kandinskaia has become the pioneer at our business school and overall in Cyprus for writing teaching cases about innovative business projects.
As case writer, Olga has received five international awards: ‘Outstanding New Case Writer’ award by The Case Centre (2017), ‘Jonathan Welch Award’ by the North American Case Research Association (NACRA) for Best Case in Accounting, Finance and Economics (2018), Best Case Gold Award by NACRA (twice, 2019 and 2024), ‘Tate Award’ for Best Case published in 2021 by the Case Research Journal.
In 2021, Dr Kandinskaia was elected to the Executive Board of NACRA for a 4-year term. “The North American Case Research Association (NACRA) https://nacra.net/ is a nonprofit, voluntary professional association whose mission is to promote excellence in case research, writing, and teaching in business and other academic disciplines.” Olga’s role in 2022-23 was the VP of Programs & Conference Chair (San Antonio, Texas, USA). She then continued to the President of NACRA in 2023-24, and this year she is a NACRA Past President. Olga’s other recent appointments include joining the Editorial Board of the Case Research Journal and the Regional Advisory Council (for MENA region) of The Case Centre.
Below is a short excerpt from Olga’s recent interview for The Case Center.
“Olga, what is it you like about writing case studies and teaching with the case method?
Olga Kandinskaia: I teach finance to master level students at a business school in Cyprus. My main motivation 12 years ago when I wrote my first case was to increase the engagement of my students. I was thrilled to see how involved they became when working in class with a financial model for a real-life strategic investment decision faced by a Cypriot entrepreneur. I was also delighted at how many questions they asked in the process, and consequently how many guiding answers from me they received, and importantly, took on board. This is what I like about writing my own cases and teaching with (my own) cases: by bringing to my students the real-life examples from relevant companies, I see first-hand what a difference it can make when students connect the numbers with an actual business situation and a real protagonist. If there is one sure thing that my experience as educator has taught me, it is that engagement matters for a successful learning.”
Read the full interview at 5 minutes with… Olga Kandinskaia – The Case Centre.
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