Dr. Raghu Kurthakoti, associate professor and chair of the School of Global Business, has received a Best Instructor Award for his contributions to the 2024 X-Culture Project. The project is a large-scale experiential learning exercise designed to provide students with an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in international virtual collaboration. Dr. Kurthakoti and his students have been participating in the project since 2014, with Dr. Kurthakoti being recognized several times during that period as a best instructor.

“X-Culture is an extremely challenging project and requires careful planning and coordination, but it is worth all the effort as it provides an experience like no other for the students to work professionally in a cross-cultural environment,” Dr. Kurthakoti said. “As an instructor, participating in X-Culture is extremely satisfying as I not only get to provide the best experiential learning opportunity for my students, but I also get to collaborate with like minded instructors from across the globe who have become lifelong friends. I am very thankful to my colleagues within the School of Global Business and Provost Dr. Jeff Rutenbeck for their support in this work. And thank you to Vas Taras and the X-Culture selection committee for choosing me as a best instructor yet again.”

A total of 160 instructors and co-instructors from 154 universities across 49 countries participated in the 2024-1 round of the X-Culture project and were considered for the Best Instructor Award. Of these, 40 professors emerged as exceptional, scoring consistently high across nearly all criteria. These instructors received the Best Instructor Award.

“The X-Culture project is very demanding for both the instructors and students. Communicating across time zones and cultures, handling a large amount of email traffic, meeting numerous deadlines, and coordinating work of people scattered around the planet are just some of the challenges that the project participants must handle,” said Dr. Vas Taras, X-Culture project founder and coordinator. “Professor Raghu Kurthakoti proved to be an innovative and inspiring educator and a very reliable partner, who took the responsibilities related to the project very seriously, completed all tasks on time, worked diligently with the students, and responded promptly to students’ questions and concerns.”

6,288 students from 171 universities in 47 countries on six continents participated in the project during the 2024-1 round. They worked in 1,132 global virtual teams, with each team made up of about six team members, and each team member in a different country.

Two of those students were Emily Schall ’25, a Sport Management major and Marketing minor,  and Morganne Dee ’25, a Business Management major.

Schall’s team worked on an expansion plan for MOS Burger, a multinational fast-food restaurant chain based in Japan. They conducted thorough market research, examined consumer behavior, evaluated competition, and designed an entry strategy specific to the Japanese market.

“Participating in the X-Culture Project was an unforgettable experience that allowed me to collaborate with an international team to create a realistic business plan,” Schall said. “Working with such an international population gave us great insight into different cultural approaches to business and teamwork, which enhanced our ability to navigate global obstacles and produce a well-rounded plan.”

Dee worked with another student from the United States, a student from Italy, and one from the Philippines. She said that the project played a big part in her development of international studies in the marketing industry.

“The project helped me learn how to work with a team composed of individuals around the world and different backgrounds, which has made group projects at Arcadia run more efficiently,” Dee said. “Working on an international project and having to understand and research more about different countries and their culture was crucial in developing a successful business plan. This enabled me to dig beyond the surface level and create an appreciation and a better understanding of knowledge and different marketing practices for future projects.”

Schall knows she’ll be able to take the things she learned from the project with her as she moves through her education and career too.

“The experience greatly enhanced my studies at Arcadia by offering hands-on experience with global business challenges,” she explained. “It enhanced my cross-cultural communication skills, strengthened my ability to work in various teams, and expanded my knowledge of worldwide market expansion tactics. The project also emphasized the value of adaptation, cooperation, and problem-solving, all of which are essential abilities for every business professional in today’s interconnected world.”

Dr. Taras lauded the efforts of Arcadia students. 

“The students from Arcadia University did equally well,” he said. “Based on peer evaluations and our performance records, the students generally came in very well prepared. They did a wonderful job of establishing contact with their international peers, put an impressive effort into working with their teams, made significant intellectual contributions, and made a very positive impression on their team members.”