This study presents the students’ behaviour after the design and implementation of the Business Technology Consulting Program (BTCP) at EAE Business School, a project-based learning initiative developed in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and its corporate partners. The BTCP offers students structured mentorship, predefined real-world business challenges, and regular interactions with industry professionals.

To investigate these aspects, we designed a comprehensive survey estimating the reliability and validity of the questionnaire items in advance. This strengthens the methodological rigor and enhances the credibility of forthcoming data analysis. Key educational dimensions assessed include perceived professional guidance, quality of feedback, connection to authentic business problems, application of academic knowledge, development of consulting skills, and professional confidence.

To explore patterns of student engagement, we applied unsupervised multivariant analysis techniques—hierarchical agglomerative clustering and k-means clustering—to group students into homogeneous clusters based on their responses. This approach enabled the identification of distinct engagement profiles in the absence of predefined group structures. The analysis offers practical insights into how mentoring practices correlate with different patterns of student development and perceived value.
These findings contribute to the project-based and experiential learning by demonstrating how cluster analysis can reveal differentiated student experiences in mentorship-driven academic programs.

Keywords: Project-Based Learning, professional mentorship, experiential learning, clustering analysis.