GIM qualifies for University of Oxford’s Global Map the System Finals

Mumbai, Jul 15

Goa Institute of Management (GIM), one of India’s leading business schools. has become the first Indian business school to qualify for, and participate in the finals of prestigious Map the System global competition, hosted by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford.

Held at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, from 3rd to 6th July 2025, the competition saw participation from 134 student finalists from 50 institutions across 17 countries who excelled in their respective campus and national competitions. These finalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,750 participants from across the globe.

In this global competition, students used systems thinking to analyse social or environmental issues. To qualify, students, with mentorship support from their institutions, were required to conduct in-depth research and create visual, written, and oral presentations. These presentations were then evaluated based on how well the team understood the problem and its root causes. The final project was subsequently nominated by the institute for the competition’s evaluation and qualification for the national and global finals.

The global finals involved a live presentation before an international jury comprising social entrepreneurs, systems change experts, policymakers, and academicians.

Representing the Institute were Mr. Aryan Rajpal, Mr. Shubham Das, Mr. Dhruv Bhagat, Ms. Aditi Naringe, and Mr. Yash Kabra. 2nd year students of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) program, the team presented their project titled, “Mapping Access to Justice in India,” which explored the multifaceted challenges surrounding legal access in the country.

With mentorship support from Prof. Pravat Surya Kar, Associate Professor, Marketing area, along with Prof. Andy Silveria and Prof. Karman Khanna, Assistant Professors, Communication area, the team used systems thinking frameworks such as the Iceberg Model and causal loop diagrams, the team highlighted Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) as a potential lever for change, offering accessible, tech-enabled pathways to civil justice.

Congratulating the qualifying team on their achievement, Prof Ajit Parulekar, Director, Goa Institute of Management, said, “I extend my best wishes to the team for this remarkable achievement. Qualifying for the global finals reflects their deep commitment to system thinking and social insights – qualities championed by the May the system competition.”

The three-day final competition included workshops, speaker sessions, and presentations by the teams shortlisted from across the globe to an expert panel. With the top 3 winning teams receiving cash prizes, all the finalists have now been encouraged to explore implementation opportunities, network with global changemakers, and publish their research.

Sharing the experience of participating in the global finals, the GIM team said, “We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent India and Goa Institute of Management at the global stage of Map the System, hosted by the University of Oxford. This experience has been a powerful learning journey, helping us see beyond symptoms and understand the deeper systems that shape real-world challenges. From the intense research to the inspiring interactions at Oxford, every moment has pushed us to grow as changemakers. It is an experience we will carry with us for a lifetime.”

Being selected as a global finalist in Map the System competition is a rare honor, reflecting high-quality research, empathy-driven problem understanding, and the ability to represent the country on a world stage. The experience also opens doors to social innovation fellowships, future collaborations, and showcasing their work at academic and policy forums.

EoM.