– SoDT will be the partner for IIMC in the application of Design Thinking across multiple domains by using its proprietary “Design The Thinking® mindset approach as a prerequisite for problem-solving and innovation.
– Mission Samriddhi will collaborate in the areas of community-impacting social initiatives and projects by leveraging their Community Development Framework and the Research Expertise of IIMC.
Chennai, March 18, 2024: Higher education in the country is on the threshold of change. The academic impetus today warrants a wider and deeper understanding of the issues which requires a change in the way issues are perceived. Albert Einstein notably said, “No problem can be solved by the same kind of thinking that created it.” Keeping that in mind, along with the changing student demographics and new technologies, universities are expected to reconsider their curriculum. Design Thinking offers important pathways for shaping these imperative new models and offers a deliberate, structured process for solving problems and fostering innovation.
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, one of the most renowned business schools and the first IIM to be established in the country, School of Design Thinking, established in 2016 with a commitment to create awareness about Design Thinking as a ‘Human Centered – Future Focused’ approach to society and Mission Samriddhi, a social impact platform dedicated to holistic development of Rural India, today signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote Design Thinking for institutional leadership. Professor Saibal Chattopadhyay, Director-in-Charge, IIM Calcutta, Professor Bhaskar Chakrabarti, Dean (Academic), IIM Calcutta, Mr. Arun Jain, CMD Intellect Design Arena & Founder-Trustee, Mission Samriddhi and Dr. Anbu Rathinavel, Co-Founder & Head, School of Design Thinking graced the occasion at the signing ceremony. This MoU will be valid for a period of 3 years.
From left to right: Dr. Anbu Rathinavel, Co-Founder & Head, School of Design Thinking; Mr. Arun Jain, CMD Intellect Design Arena & Founder-Trustee, Mission Samriddhi; Professor Saibal Chattopadhyay, Director-in-Charge, IIM Calcutta
The collaboration of IIMC, SoDT and Mission Samriddhi will help in creating ‘India’s first-of-its-kind Center of Excellence for Design Thinking in a premier Business School. This center will be the hub for all Design Thinking initiatives taken up by IIMC and associated organisations. School of Design Thinking, credited with framing India’s first program on ‘Design The Thinking®’ tailor-made for academics, will support this initiative through special courses for the students and other stakeholders in IIMC.
Mission Samriddhi, through its Community Development Framework, works on the design and development of projects that are sustainable and capable of scale to impact the larger population positively. It will support this initiative by coordinating with IIMC to reach out to rural clusters in the region.
On this auspicious occasion, Professor Saibal Chattopadhyay, Director-in-Charge, IIM Calcutta said that this new initiative will establish a long-term association with School of Design Thinking and Mission Samriddhi for taking Design Thinking mindset transformation in multiple domains.
Speaking on the occasion, Professor Bhaskar Chakrabarti, Dean (Academic), IIM Calcutta, said, “One of the biggest challenges in the implementation of policies is in it effectively reaching the intended recipient. While there are a number of studies and research initiatives to understand this lacuna, one area that has not been considered is the ‘human’ element. This is where Design Thinking plays a vital role, especially in our social outreach initiatives. I am very happy that IIM Calcutta, School of Design Thinking and Mission Samriddhi are coming together to study and drive initiatives towards effective outcomes keeping the stakeholders in the center.”
Mr.Arun Jain, CMD Intellect Design Arena and Founder-Trustee Mission Samriddhi, an evangelist of Design Thinking said, “Building a powerful and responsible society is a very important task in the journey of any nation. It goes without saying that the role of academia is very critical in supporting the nation’s growth. This is a unique and timely action by IIMC. Mission Samriddhi is pleased to partner with the institution in this first-of-its-kind initiative. It brings along its robust and deep rural network connect which will help to translate classroom knowledge to on-the-field application to influence community-impacting social initiatives. The synergy between IIMC and Mission Samriddhi will help in transforming not only the mindset of the students but the broader stakeholder canvas.’’
Dr. Anbu Rathinavel, Co-founder & Head, School of Design Thinking said, “I am delighted in this partnership between IIM Calcutta, School of Design Thinking and Mission Samriddhi in creating this Center of Excellence in Design Thinking. Integrating the principles of methodology of Design Thinking in the main curriculum at IIM Calcutta will create the necessary shift in the mental model of students and help them see problems & opportunities from a completely different perspective. And therefore, the solution will not only be innovative but path breaking as well.”
This collaboration will also include the following initiatives.
- In collaboration with SoDT, IIMC will initiate different courses and interventions in the area of Design Thinking and its application in different domains.
- Modules and assignments will be developed on Design Thinking as part of various academic/training programs.
- In order to enhance the advocacy of Design Thinking as a mindset for innovation, various workshops, forums, seminars and other activities will be conducted.
- In collaboration with MS, collaborative research projects, community-impacting social initiatives, and impact studies will be commenced and there will be a joint ownership of publications and other materials of interest.
- Best practices in Design Thinking will be an integral part of the cooperative, for dissemination to a wider audience.
- SoDT will work towards creating a Centre of Excellence on the premises of IIMC to promote Design Thinking as a mindset.
About Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) was established as the first national institute for Post-Graduate studies and Research in Management by the Government of India in November 1961. Over the years, IIMC has grown into a mature institution with global reputation, by playing a pioneering role in professionalising Indian management through its Post Graduate and Doctoral level programs, Executive Training Programs, Research and Consulting Activities. Today, the institute serves as an autonomous body, continually evolving to meet its goals in an ever-changing business environment.
The vision of the Institute is to emerge as an International Centre of Excellence in all facets of Management Education, rooted in Indian ethos and societal values. Over the past four decades, IIM Calcutta has blossomed into one of Asia’s finest Business Schools.
About School of Design Thinking
School of Design Thinking (SoDT) is committed to creating awareness in the society at large about Design Thinking as a Human-centered Approach for problem solving, thus enabling ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Our belief in Design Thinking taking to society at large is not only to teach them about our Design Thinking Process and Design Thinking Tools to solve complex problems but instil it as a life skill. It believes in the practical application of Design Thinking and places equal emphasis on first ‘Design the Thinking®’ and then ‘Thinking the Design’.
For further information, please visit http://www.d-thinking.com/
About Mission Samriddhi
Mission Samriddhi, founded and funded by AAUM Trust and Polaris Foundation, is a social impact platform dedicated to holistic development of Rural India, through the design and development of projects that are sustainable and capable of scale to positively impact the larger population.
As suggested by the name, ‘Samriddhi’, the unifying value is prosperity for all. Mission Samriddhi believes in the cumulative strength of Celebrate, Connect, and Catalyse – Celebrating what is working, Connecting people, process and technologies to drive scale & Catalysing the change by providing competence, confidence, education and funding.
Mission Samriddhi empowers rural and marginalised communities to dream the change by enhancing their self-worth, overcoming constraints, addressing limiting beliefs and thereby becoming the agents of their development.
For details visit: https://www.mission-samriddhi.org/index.html
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