This piece is contributed by Karen Lynden, lecturer for the Department of Management within CSB.

To become an expert surfer, at some point you’ve got to dive into the ocean. And as Fons Trompenaars, cross-cultural communication expert wrote the book titled Riding the Waves of Culture, our CSB students are creating their own stories through lessons learned as they “ride the waves” of international project collaboration, thanks to their involvement in the X-Culture project. 

The Project: Global Teams, Global Client Challenges
X-Culture is a large-scale international experiential learning project that provides the opportunity for university students from different countries to work in global virtual teams (GVTs). These teams complete an international business project with organizations from around the world and in the process learn the challenges and best practices of global cross-cultural collaboration. Developed by Dr. Vas Taras beginning in 2010, each year over 10,000 students from 140 universities in over 70 countries on six continents participate.  Each team is comprised of 4-7 members from different universities and several different countries. The main objective of the project is to experience collaboration across cultures and time zones, using a variety of communication tools and strategies over the course of the two-month timeline. 

Each semester teams are provided with 6-12 selections of new market expansion consulting challenges from real small, medium, and large multinational companies headquartered in countries in diverse regions. Students come away with new knowledge of an industry and ideas on how to expand into a new market. This year’s options included companies from Europe, the Americas and Caribbean Region, Africa, and Asia. Examples of product and service categories from this year include: educational services; a nature preserve; spice commodity cooperative; retail and apparel; a disability product innovator; a vineyard; food and beverage distribution; and IT service solutions. 

Students come away from this experience with narratives such as “I worked with my GVT with members from Peru, Japan, Finland, and Morocco on a market expansion report for a sustainability-conscious vineyard in Italy.” While the unique business expansion solutions are interesting to learn about, the most impressive storyline comes from how the team worked through the challenges of collaboration. The deep learning occurs outside the borders of the consulting report, through capitalization of human dynamics in a unique, modern, and authentic working environment. 

"This is my first time doing an online project with different people around the world. It is a great experience for me." -Anonymous CSB student feedback

Developing International Management Competencies: 200+ and Growing
As a component of the MGT 352 International Management course, a course open to all CSB majors, over 200 CSB students have completed the project since 2022. In addition to earning a grade, students receive a Global Virtual Team Member collaboration certificate, a performance review, and a recommendation letter issued by X-Culture. As the project mirrors a real-world corporate project experience, for a young professional about to enter the job market or pursue the path of a graduate degree, this is a unique distinction and a valuable accomplishment providing a competitive advantage that can make a resume stand out and make an interview memorable. 

Bridging Cultures and Building Skills
The project allows students to navigate the complexities of cross-cultural collaboration and to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, cultural intelligence, and a global mindset. These competencies are crucial in today's interconnected world, where businesses operate across borders and cultural nuances can significantly impact success. Students reflect on their experiences, share how they work through communication challenges and used new technologies. These experiences are not just academic exercises but practical preparations for their future careers.

“This course has not only equipped me with comprehensive knowledge and skills, but also broadened my horizons.” -Anonymous CSB student

Beyond the Classroom: Achievements and Recognitions

Client Challenge Awards: Silvia Chiappara, Madison Fionda, and Michael Lopez, now Cameron School Alumni, were each on teams that earned a 2023 Best Report Team Award. 

Beyond the GVT Project: Post-project, Silvia Chiappara became a certified X-Culture Global Virtual Coach and is still active as an X-Culture Senior Reviewer today. April 2024, Silvia successfully defended her Master's thesis in Languages for International Business Relations, at the University of Verona. Her thesis was centered on Global Virtual Teams using X-Culture content analysis and qualitative data.

Live Symposium Participation: CSB students have also distinguished themselves by participating in global X-Culture events and competitions. Avery Koeppen (now CSB Alumna) attended the 2023 X-Culture Global Business Week in Poland; Andrea DeLeon (now CSB Alumna) and her team won the YKK client challenge competition at the 2024 X-Culture Academy of International Business Southeast Chapter Symposium in Atlanta; and most recently, Anna Ward, now a CSG graduate student, was selected to participate in the 2024 X-Culture Academy of International Business Southeast Chapter Symposium (client sponsor, Martiz) in St. Louis. 

Expanding World Views through Education Abroad: In collaboration with X-Culture, the Cameron School has also offered short-term education abroad 3-credit hour courses (Poland, Summer 2023; Thailand 2024). In this week-long travel abroad format, the X-Culture Global Business Week program brings together students from around the world to work on a consulting project for an organization, all while visiting businesses, experiencing cultural activities, touring historic sights, and receiving lectures from local and attending international faculty.  UNCW students as well as students from other (Australian, Portuguese, United States) universities have enrolled in these summer courses for academic credit. 

“This course is not just an educational journey, but an immersive, transformative experience.” -Anonymous CSB student feedback

In addition to these anecdotal spotlights, research studies investigating the impact of the project on student development [1] has shown X-Culture project completion: enhances student learning; positively impacts student cultural intelligence and global mindset; develops international and virtual collaboration competencies; can improve problem-solving and project planning skills, and develops greater participant interest in cross-cultural interactions —all of which translate into our students preparing well for their careers.