2024 X-CULTURE GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK IN CHIANG RAI, THAILAND

Global Symposium

2024 X-CULTURE GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK IN CHIANG RAI, THAILAND

Mae Fah Luang University

X-Culture and Mae Fah Luang University

are proud to present

The 2024 X-Culture Global Business Week in Thailand

BUSINESS CHALLENGE PARTNER CORPORATIONS TBD

DATES:

SYMPOSIUM MEETING DATES
Sunday, July 07 – Saturday, July 13, 2024

Application Deadline: See the deadline in your personal invitation letter
Notification of acceptance: April 25, 2024

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
Limited to 150 Students, 20 Student Ambassadors, and 25 Professors

LOCATION:
Mae Fah Luang University: 2333 Moo1, Thasud, Muang, Chiang Rai 57100

X-Culture and the School of Management of Mae Fah Luang University are excited to invite the best X-Culture students from around the world to the X-Culture Global Business Week 2024!

We invite the best students to attend the X-Culture Global Symposium. In this week-long professional development event, participants are provided opportunities to complete and compete in a client consulting project challenge, attend professional development and academic sessions, and experience cultural visits and events, all while collaborating with other X-Culture students and faculty. Join us this July in Thailand!

Thailand, the land of smiles, has a deserved reputation as one of the easiest and friendliest places to travel in Southeast Asia. There’s an amazing amount to see, travel is cost effective, English-language signs and menus are commonplace, and you can get around quite easily to a great variety of nearby regions. Chiang Rai, selected as a part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, is the northernmost province of Thailand filled with the atmosphere of a complex mountain range, and offers distinctive Thai and Lanna Culture, Karen Hill tribe culture, rich with ancient and new architecture (particularly Buddhist wats and ancient royal temples), distinctive arts, and awe-inspiring nature. Chiang Rai is a province that is at the junction between Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, and tourists can view both sides from the Mekong river. Chiang Rai International Airport, is a 1 hour 25 min. (or less) flight to destinations in Thailand such as Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Chaing Mai, Phuket, as well as other border country touristic destinations such as Angkor Wat in Siam Reap, Cambodia (1 hour) and Luang Prabang, Laos 1 hour 25 min., just to name a few popular regional designations that are one stop away from the city of Chaing Mai.

The School of Management, Mae Fah Luang University, is recognized as one of Thailand’s fastest-growing and most effective international business schools, constantly producing high-quality graduates. All of the School’s academic programs are well-constructed and suitable for both Thai and international students. The School of Management offers extensive and diverse courses, using modern teaching approaches with support from computerized systems to ensure the utmost benefit to the students. Moreover, the School’s quality assurance system certifies the quality of education in crafting proficient graduates in each field of study.

The X-Culture Global Business Symposium is an event that brings participants together, chosen from the best of the best. Students from around the world from international teams meet initially online and finally in person to finalize their work on solving a real business problem. Since 2010, nearly 90,000 students from 115 countries and 701 universities have participated, and 16,846 international teams have been formed. Previous Global Business Symposium events have taken place in Miami (United States) in 2017, Macerata (Italy) in 2018, Calgary (Canada) in 2019, and Lublin (Poland) in 2024.

The selection process is competitive. Preference will be given to student applicants who have demonstrated excellence in past X-Culture participation, but also with some consideration to maximize geographic and cultural diversity.

Passport Requirements

Have at least six months of validity remaining on your passport whenever you travel abroad. Six months remaining validity is strongly recommended; at least three months remaining validity beyond planned departure from the Schengen area is required.
You can find passport validity requirements for your destination country, along with other important information, via Thailand’s embassy or your country’s government (i.e., embassy) websites regarding out-of-country travel.
Check with the embassy of the country before you travel regarding passport and visa requirements.

THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Dr. Vasyl Taras
Founder, X-Culture

Dr. Vas Taras is a Professor of International Business at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
He is the Vice President-Administration of the Academy of International Business and the founder of the X-Culture Project. He received his Ph.D. in International HR and International Business from the University of Calgary, Canada.
His research and work revolve around cross-cultural and global virtual teams and experiential approaches to international business education and development. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of International Management, the International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, the European Journal of International Management, and Cross-Cultural Strategic Management, and an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of International Business Studies, Academy of Management Review, and Journal of World Business.
Vas has lived, worked, and studied in half a dozen countries and has experience as an academic, manager, entrepreneur, and business consultant.

Dr. Leilani Baumanis
Conference Chair

Dr. Leilani Baumanis is the Program Coordinator and Professor for the International Business Program at the College of Business and Management at Lynn University.
She earned her Doctorate in International Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University and has over 25 years of teaching experience with a focus in active learning, cultural intelligence, and study abroad opportunities.
Since 2013, Dr. Baumanis has played a vital role in X-Culture, which comprises more than 400 universities worldwide. X-Culture focuses on teaching university students to collaborate effectively through global virtual teams. In 2017, she joined the Executive Team and contributed to developing the X-Culture Global Business Symposium. This week-long international conference brings together 200 of X-Culture’s finest students and faculty. Additionally, Dr. Baumanis leads the X-Culture Academy, a global virtual team program that concentrates on college-bound students aspiring to enhance their international business skills through collaboration with like-minded students from across the globe.
In recognition of her expertise, Dr. Baumanis was appointed the Academy of International Business, Southeast (AIB-SE) X-Culture liaison in 2022. In this role, she oversees X-Culture’s US-based Global Business Symposium, fostering connections and knowledge exchange among participants.

Dr. Justin Kraemer
MFLU Host Lead Faculty

Dr. Justin Kraemer received his PhD from Rutgers University, USA. He is employed in the School of Management at Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand.
His research interests include within- and between-group dynamics as well as advanced quantitative research methods.
He has included his students in X-Culture many times. He is also deeply involved in the X-Culture Xachathon and assisted in establishing what we now know as the X-Culture database.

Karen Lynden
Conference Faculty
Development Lead

Karen Lynden teaches at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, supporting the International Business and Management concentrations. Her teaching philosophy is centered on experiential and project-based learning.
As an active member of the X-Culture project team, Karen is the Coaching Program Faculty Advisor, in addition to supporting roles. She has been teaching with Global Virtual Team programs since 2014 and has had over 1,000 students complete these projects successfully in her courses across multiple higher education institutions.
Karen brings with her 20+ years of higher education and industry experience. Organizations have relied on her to develop global and domestic teams while managing a broad portfolio of client accounts. A primary focus of her industry experience includes creating and facilitating organizational development training programs. Karen’s research interests include global virtual teams, cross-cultural team and management topics, and organizational training and development.

Timothy Muth
X-Culture Client Management

Tim Muth has taught various Business courses at the Florida Institute of Technology since 2007 and has been involved with X-Culture since 2012. He spent over 25 years in various executive management positions working for a Fortune 500 technology company and has worked in or traveled to over 50 foreign countries. Tim holds degrees from Florida State University and Wake Forest University.
Tim has won several teaching awards. In 2019, he was named one of six faculty members to receive the prestigious Master Teacher Award. A scholarship named the “60^th Anniversary Professors” was established to honor the Master Teachers. In 2020 and 2021, he won the Student Government Association “Professor of the Year – College of Business” award.
Tim is actively involved with several non-profit groups. He leads a non-profit organization (Hearts Out to Haiti) that provides support for educational programs in two remote mountain villages.
He coordinates the Business Challenges and Student Professional activities at the X-Culture Global Business Week.

Maddalena Dulio
X-Culture Lead Ambassador

Maddalena Dulio is a Senior Project Manager of the legal department at the German-Italian Chamber of Commerce in Milan, Italy. She graduated with an MSc in Foreign Languages and International Management at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. She has collected several international experiences in cross-cultural counseling services, market and business development, and event management. She can fluently speak English, German and Italian.
She has been part of the X-Culture family since 2014, being a former X-Culture student, X-Culture Coach and Head Coach, and X-Culture Student Ambassador.
She is one of the X-Culture Professionals Program Administrators.
She was the Conference Assistant and the Lead Ambassador of the X-Culture Business Week in Lublin, Poland.

Rafael Akira Tamashiro
X-Culture Lead Ambassador

Rafael Akira Tamashiro holds a degree in Business Administration from the State University of Campinas, Brazil.
He is a former X-Culture student, Coach, and Senior Coach, and since 2020, he has been the X-Culture Academy Coordinator.
Rafael also has 2+ years of experience in procurement at multinational companies.
He was the Conference Assistant and the Lead Ambassador of the X-Culture Business Week in Lublin, Poland.

SCHEDULE OF IMPORTANT DATES AND PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Important Dates

Application deadline: See the deadline in your personal application letter.
Announcement of the selected students: Within 2 weeks from application
Announcement of selected ambassadors: March 15, 2024
Early registration and payment ($1495) deadline: April 30, 2024
Standard registration and payment ($1,795): after April 30, 2024 (last date to register May 10)
Conference dates: July 07-13, 2024
Students will be told which team they are on 5 weeks before the event starts. No stipends are available to cover the participation fee.
Cancellation/Refund Policy: Registrants who cancel on or before May 4, 2024, will be assessed a $100 fee. Between May 5-31, 50% of the registration fee will be refunded. No refunds will be issued after May 31, 2024.

TENTATIVE PROGRAM

Conference Schedule: TBC

Sunday, July 07, 2024: Registration and Welcome Reception
Registration Desk: 13:00 – 18:00
Welcome Reception: 18:00 – 20:00
Monday, July 08, 2024: Welcome Plenary
Breakfast at hotel
Welcome Orientation: 9:00 – 11:00
Lunch: 12:00 – 13:30
Team Time:
Tuesday, July 09, 2024: Concurrent Company site visits
Breakfast at hotel
Concurrent company visits: 9:00 – 12:00
Lunch: 12:00 – 13:30
International Lectures: 14:00 – 17:00
Team Time/ Dinner on your own: 18:00 –
Wednesday, July 10, 2024: Culture Visit
Breakfast at hotel
Cultural Activity
Lunch: 13:00 – 14:30
Cultural Activity
Team Time
Thursday, July 11, 2023: Team Presentation 1
Breakfast at hotel
1st Pitch: 9:00 – 12:00
Lunch: 12:00 – 13:30
Team Time
Personal Time
Friday, July 12, 2024: Presentations 2 to Executives / Gala
Breakfast at hotel
Team 2nd pitch: 10:00 – 12:00
Lunch: 12:30 – 14:00
Personal Time
Gala – 17:00 – 23:00
Saturday, July 13, 2024: Student Departures
Breakfast at hotel
Checkouts + Departures

BUSINESS CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY LOCAL PARTNER COMPANIES:

RESEARCH XACKATHON & X-CULTURE MASTER FACULTY CERTIFICATION TRAINING

For X-Culture Instructors only. By invitation only.

RESEARCH XACKATHON: Throughout the conference, time will be allotted to the research activities. While the students prepare their presentations, the instructors participating in the hackathon will brainstorm paper ideas and start working on developing papers.

The X-Culture data will be shared with the Research Xackathon attendees 1 month before the event so that they can start preparing and developing their paper ideas.

X-CULTURE MASTER FACULTY CERTIFICATION:

Workshop Duration: A total of four (4) continuing education hours. The schedule will allow faculty to participate in the Xackathon and other activities.

Upon completing this multi-day program, participants will be awarded an X-Culture Master Faculty Certification status. This credential provides:

X-Culture-recognized status for use in your professional endeavors
Networking and professional development opportunities

COSTS

Student program fee: $1,495 early bird rate (paid in full by April 30) or $1,795 after April 30 (final deadline May 10, no more registrations after this date).

Faculty program fee (single occupancy room): $1,845 early bird rate (register by April 30) or $2,195 by the final deadline (May 10)

Sponsorship Letters to solicit financial support through your network are provided upon request.

The conference fee includes:

Student hotel, double occupancy per room (will be booked for you by the conference planning committee upon acceptance)
- (Attention! You must have a credit card for your hotel room for incidentals. It is necessary to provide the hotel at least one credit card per room)
Faculty hotel, single/double occupancy per room (will be booked for you by the conference planning committee upon acceptance)
- (Attention! You must have a credit card for your hotel room for incidentals. It is necessary to provide the hotel at least one credit card per room)
Welcome event reception
All breakfasts and lunches

Dinners (Welcome reception and Gala included)
All scheduled conference cultural visits, lectures, guest presentations, local events, and local transportation to scheduled events
Farewell Gala and Award Ceremony

Also:

Service Offerings of Thai Companies (as part of client visits)
Skill Development by Participating in Global Development Day
In-person engagement with International Business Faculty from Around the World
Taking Your International Business Skills to the Next Level Through Experiential Learning
Experiencing and Learning All About Thai history, culture, and aspirations
Experiential Learning in Global Virtual Teams
Conference Materials and Vendor Give-Aways
X-Culture Global Business Week Participation Certificate and Recommendation Letter
A New Global Network of Friends (who are as highly motivated as you are, as reflected in their participation in the event)

For faculty, the conference fee includes:

Research Xackathon, multiple sessions
X-Culture Master Faculty Certification, multiple sessions5/double

PERSONAL EXPENSES

The students will be paying on their own for:

Travel to Chiang Rai, Thailand
(The registration fee does not cover your trip to and from Chiang Rai. Depending on your location, the airfare can cost you up to $350 if you live in South East Asia or up to $1,500 if you live abroad)
Thai visa processing fee (if required, you can check it here; costs vary by country)
Dinners (only welcome reception and gala included in the participation fee)
Other personal expenses (souvenirs, etc.)
Pre or post-conference sightseeing and other activities

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

If you are traveling to Chiang Mai (International Airport near Chiang Rai) by air, your airport is Chiang Mai International Airport.
If you are flying to Bangkok by air and traveling to Chiang Rai by flights
Additional travel information: Chiang-Rai Travel Information

APPLY HERE

Please Note,
It is our goal at X-Culture to be global citizens, respectful of others and a great ambassador for yourselves, your university, and your country. We pride ourselves on being a role model for you. Please be a role model for each other. During X-Culture Global Business Week, it is mandatory to respect the “no-absence policy,” this includes all sessions and scheduled social and cultural activities. Certificates and letters of participation are granted based on meeting this standard and adhering to our community behavior standards.

It is mandatory to adhere to the requested daily dress code.

UNIVERSITY CREDIT COURSE

Earn university course credit by attending X-Culture Global Business Week 2024 (OPTIONAL Travel Abroad University Course Opportunity)

If you are attending the event, why not earn university credit too?

Contact your university advisor about the option to transfer this university course into your current degree program toward your degree completion requirements. This course is open to students in any country.
Provided by the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), USA, taught by Professor Karen Lynden (lyndenk@uncw.edu).
Meet via Zoom once before and after the event, and meet during the event; all other course work is online (no USA campus meetings). Grades will reflect event participation and several written assignments.
April 1: FINAL application deadline to apply to take this additional class
All details HERE. This optional course has additional fees outside of event registration. See details on the tuition cost and your (3) course options to choose from (pick one) that work best to transfer back to your degree program at your current university.
To apply: (1) Register for the X-Culture event and (2) complete the form at the bottom of this webpage.