This week, nine Kirkwood Community College students will conclude a major international business collaboration, the Seven Bridges Project, by traveling to Brașov, Romania, to present their final recommendations.
The collaboration had the students working together remotely with Kirkwood students work in international teams with peers from partner institutions in Finland, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania. The teams have been analyzing business challenges and developing solutions for participating companies, including the North Liberty-based Centro Incorporated.
The culmination of the project will take place during spring break, March 16-20, at Transylvania University of Brașov. There, the international teams will meet in person to present their final recommendations directly to the companies involved.
“This project gives our students the opportunity to collaborate with peers from around the world while solving real business challenges,” said Dr. Lori Brown, Kirkwood Professor of Management and faculty leader for Seven Bridges. “Experiences like this help prepare them to work in a global economy and gain intercultural competence in the process.”
The project highlights Kirkwood’s commitment to global education and experiential learning, helping students develop cross-cultural communication skills, international business knowledge, and professional networks.
The Seven Bridges Project is an expansion of the previous Six Bridges Project during the 2024–2025 academic year. That project saw Kirkwood students work in international teams before traveling to Bordeaux, France, in March 2025, where they presented final recommendations to their assigned companies.
That project’s success led to Kirkwood being invited back for the expanded program, now called the Seven Bridges Project to reflect the college’s role as the seventh partner institution. The European partner schools received support through Erasmus+, a European Union initiative promoting international education.
