By Daniel Shapiro / Jambar Contributor
Two Youngstown State University students finished as finalists in the X-Culture project last semester, and were invited to the Global Symposium in Finland this summer.
LeeAnn Harsha, senior marketing major, and James DeLisio, junior business administration major, finished as finalists in the global X-Culture project that spanned the fall 2024 semester.
Both students were on one of the 14 teams selected as Best Teams. There were a total of 1,118 projects submitted worldwide. Students from each of the 14 finalist teams are invited to the X-Culture Global Symposium during the first week of August.
According to X-culture.org, the August symposium is a week-long professional development event where participants will have a chance to complete a consulting project with a local business and experience industry culture.
Harsha and DeLisio became involved with the project while they were students in Omer Genc’s class. Genc is a professor for the department of management and marketing in Williamson College of Business Administration and teaches Principles of International Business.
“X-Culture is an international skill project where students from different parts of the world participate in and work on a real-life challenge,” Genc said. “So there’s a partnership with real companies. They create challenges [for] our students.”
Each YSU student was placed in a different group with other students from around the world.
“My team consisted of four university students, including myself and others from California, Vietnam and India,” Harsha said.
Harsha said she was part of the “My Better Batch” team, where she worked with other students trying to create a report regarding a baked goods company.
“My team did not have direct contact with the company, so our research was all conducted online from the company we were writing about, as well as research from other baked goods companies,” Harsha said.
DeLisio said it was difficult to collaborate with other students from across the globe.
“It was very challenging at times working with students outside of the United States. We were all in different time zones and sometimes had to have meetings at 3 or 4 a.m,” DeLisio said.
Genc said the reason why business majors take this course is to give students hands-on experience in the business world.
“It’s a real-life experience because students work [with] real companies and do [consulting for these companies],” Genc said. “And these reports are read by company managers and the students also have an opportunity to meet with the company managers.”
Genc believes the X-Culture project helps YSU students by adding to their resumes.
“[Employers] see the certificate and also the recommendation letter based on their performance in the project,” Genc said.
Genc said that although the project is demanding, it prepares students for their futures as business professionals.
“X-Culture Project is a challenging but rewarding experience. We want our students to get out of their comfort zones and they’ll look at themselves professionally,” Genc said.
150 students, 20 Ambassadors and 25 professors were invited to the event, giving students an opportunity to collaborate with people from around the world.
Harsha and DeLisio said they are considering attending the symposium this summer.