WDI Publishing has received a record number of submissions for the Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets 2026 Global Case Writing Competition, with authors from 24 countries entering original academic case studies focused on entrepreneurship in emerging markets.
The competition, in partnership with the University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship, invited faculty, students and practitioners to submit original academic case studies capturing the realities of entrepreneurial ventures in fast-growing and challenging environments in developing countries.
The competition drew a record 57 submissions from more than 100 authors representing 60 colleges and universities across 24 countries, more than doubling the response of previous competitions.
“We are thrilled by the record number of high-quality case submissions to this competition,” said Sandra Draheim, Manager of WDI Publishing. “It speaks volumes about the vitality of entrepreneurship across the world, but also the educational demand for authentic stories and teaching materials from business schools eager to keep this curriculum fresh and relevant.”
Since 2010, WDI Publishing has managed more than 12 global case writing competitions covering topics ranging from energy solutions to health technology in emerging markets. Over that period, more than 30 awards have been presented to winners from dozens of countries and higher education institutions worldwide, with each competition aimed at expanding the number of academic business cases available on critical emerging market topics.
A panel of judges from business, academia and entrepreneurship support organizations in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and the United States — including Harvard University and the University of Michigan — will review finalist cases without knowledge of author identities or their affiliated institutions. Winners will be announced in September. The top three winners will receive cash prizes, and their cases will be professionally published and distributed by WDI Publishing.
This year submissions came from the following countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad/Tobago, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“Entrepreneurship in emerging markets is a powerful driver of innovation, job creation and sustainable growth, but entrepreneurs in these regions often navigate complex obstacles — from limited access to finance and regulatory hurdles to infrastructure constraints,” said Wendy Taylor, President and CEO of WDI. “That is why this competition is so important. These stories and teaching tools are designed to prepare, inspire and inform. We’re thrilled to partner with ZLI to bring these cases to the next generation of business leaders.”
The Zell Lurie Institute advances the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation through programs, competitions, academics, symposia and global community outreach. The institute serves as the primary resource for University of Michigan students and alumni pursuing careers in entrepreneurship, venture capital and corporate innovation.
WDI Publishing supports WDI’s work in emerging markets by publishing and marketing cases focused on business challenges unique to those regions. Established in 2007, WDI Publishing provides business case studies to universities globally, working with faculty at the University of Michigan, as well as other universities. WDI Publishing professionally edits, publishes, markets, and distributes high-quality, cutting-edge case studies for adoption into courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive education levels. WDI Publishing’s e-commerce site offers a diversified, searchable catalog of over 500 cases within core business disciplines, as well as international business, social impact, and climate change/sustainability topic areas. Through a partnership with Harvard Business Impact (formerly Harvard Business Publishing) and other distributors, over 800 universities from over 40 countries have adopted WDI Publishing cases.
