COB Students Go Global
MGMT 406 Students Achieve Top Honors in the Fall 2025 X-Culture Experiential Learning Project
Every semester students in the Prof. Acc-Nikmehr’s course at the College of Business step far beyond the classroom. As participants in the X-Culture Experiential Learning Project, they work directly with global companies, collaborate weekly with international teammates, and deliver professional consulting reports addressing real-world business challenges.
, a global platform that connects students, professors, companies, and researchers in international business, engages more than 6,000 students from 150+ universities across 70+ countries every semester. Since 2010, over 110,000 students have completed the project, making it one of the world’s largest and most respected experiential learning programs in international business. MGMT 406 students join this global network to learn firsthand what it takes to work virtually across borders, communicate across cultures, and solve complex global business problems.
In Fall 2025, two COB students, Sophia Cruz and John Bennett, distinguished themselves among thousands of participants worldwide by earning the placement on elite X-Culture Winner and Finalist teams. Given the program’s scale and competitiveness, these recognitions represent an exceptional achievement and highlight the strength of experiential and globally engaged learning in the College of Business.
Student Spotlight: Global Excellence in MGMT 406 International Business Policy Class
Winner Team – X-Culture Fall 2025
Sophia Cruz earned Winner Team distinction as a member of an international consulting team working with Unihelper.io (Denmark), an international EdTech company, during the Fall 2025 X-Culture Project. Competing among more than 6,165 students from 162 universities in 53 countries by country of study and 140 countries by country of origin working in 1,279 global virtual teams, her team delivered a top-ranked consulting report focused on international expansion and strategic growth. Sophia’s achievement reflects exceptional analytical skill, cross-cultural collaboration, and professional leadership in a global virtual environment.
“From the very moment my professor mentioned an opportunity to work in an international virtual-team through the X-Culture program, I was intrigued. The prospect of putting to use the skills and knowledge I’ve acquired throughout my undergraduate studies felt long overdue and I was ready to take on the challenge.
The experience X-Culture provided was diverse and challenging in all the best ways. I connected with and worked alongside students from an array of diverse backgrounds from around the world, broadening my perspective on the importance of international collaboration. I take considerable pride in this achievement, which has continued to foster a certainty in my skills as an academic and soon-to-be graduate as I prepare to cultivate a career in international business.”
Finalist Team – X-Culture Fall 2025
John Bennett was recognized as a member of a Finalist Team for his work on a consulting project for X-Culture, Inc. (USA/Global). His team ranked among the strongest performers globally, developing strategic recommendations for organizational growth and global program expansion. John demonstrated strong teamwork, strategic thinking, and the ability to collaborate effectively across cultures and time zones.
“X-ܱٳܰ&Բ;was a highly valuable and enriching part of the MGMT 406 class this semester. Through X-Culture, I feel like I have developed stronger cross-cultural communication skills, improved my ability to collaborate across varying time zones, and gained practical experience applying business concepts to real-world problems. The project also challenged me to be more flexible and open-minded when working with different perspectives about time and workload management.
I believe X-Culture overall was an excellent learning opportunity that prepares students for the realities of global business, and I would strongly recommend it to other business students.”
