Hines, the international real estate firm, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) have announced the finalists of a new competition for graduate real estate students across Europe.

The ULI Hines Student Competition – Europe, which is modelled after a similar U.S. program established by Hines Founder and Chairman Gerald D. Hines in 2002, was launched at the ULI Europe Conference in Amsterdam in February this year. 

Working in teams of four, students from pan-European universities were set the task of working on a submission which tested their understanding of the core components of real estate; finance, investment and development, as well as social and environmental issues that impact decisions around land-use and sustainable retail.  

The nine finalists feature
groups of students from the University of Cambridge, Technical University
Dublin, London Business School, Polytechnic University of Milan, INSEAD
graduate business school and the Technical University of Madrid.

All nine teams will be invited to attend the final stage of the competition, where they will be put through their paces by a judging panel made up of senior industry professionals, including Lars Huber, CEO of Hines Europe, and Lisette van Doorn, CEO of ULI Europe, Brian Moran, Head of Hines Ireland, Hala El Akl, Director of PLP Architecture, Ed Siskind, CEO of Cale Street Partners.

The winning team members will
receive a one-year ULI membership and fast-track to the Hines internship
programme. 

Lars Huber, CEO of Hines Europe, said: “The standard of entries were exceptionally high.  We were hugely impressed with the students’ grasp of the challenge, and the insight and creativity they demonstrated in their response.  We look forward to the finalists having the opportunity to present their work to the panel and hearing a fresh perspective on creating sustainable communities for the next generation.”

Lisette van Doorn, CEO of ULI Europe, said: “We were particularly pleased by the diversity of backgrounds, skills and academic vocations of all the students who have chosen to take part in the competition, not only across but also within teams. We believe that the diverse range of expertise and skills will lead to some inspiring proposals and presentations at the workshop in London.”