International Centre for Cross Cultural Research and Human Resource Management (ICccR & HRM), University of Jammu organised One Day Workshop on Design Thinking: An Entrepreneurial Approach to Problem Solving’ for the students of MBA (IB) Programme and PGDCCM at Indian Institute of Technology-Jammu (IIT-Jammu). Keeping the objective of developing entrepreneurial mindset amongst the budding entrepreneurs, and with an intent to give real time exposure to MBA (International Business) students to the institutions with state of art incubation and start up spaces, the visit was organized with an objective to provide exposure to students with reference to understanding the Design Thinking as a methodical approach to solve community problems using non linear iterative processes  that students as teams can learn and apply in practical settings.

The visit of MBA (International Business) students to Indian Institute of Technology-IIT-Jammu enabled them to learn the basics of design thinking as an iterative process that students at ideation stage can use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test.  The five important phases that are Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test—were deliberated to students and further implications of same in solving basic socially relevant problems were enumerated to the students. The students also underwent hands on experiential learning on systems for prototype development and creation of final solutions to the basic problems.

Prof. Rakesh Sindhai, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT- Jammu and Dean Continuing Education, in his introductory remarks stressed that by employing design thinking approach, as innovators we pull together what’s desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable. Design thinking allows those who are not trained as designers to use creative techniques, methods, and mindsets to address a vast range of challenges, specifically that are social in content and community centric. Further, Dr. Vijay Pal, Faculty, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-Jammu, enabled students to understand Design thinking as a set of cognitive, strategic, and practical procedure that can be used by young budding innovators in the process of designing, when engaging with design problems and related solutions.

Also, post workshop the students visited the Tinkering Lab stationed at IIT-Jammu to visually observe the various prototypes prepared by the students of IIT-Jammu and to soak in the basics of design thinking that were used prior developing of prototypes so that they can relate to basic community problem solving using design thinking approach.

Prof. Hardeep Chahal, Director, ICccR & HRM, flagged off the students to IIT-Jammu and expressed urgency for organising such like visits that shall enable students to solve the community centric problems using neotric interventions like design thinking, data analytics and computational thinking. She also stressed upon the role of collaborations with institutions like IIT’s for training students with newer skills and methodologies so that they can be innovators of future with relevant skill sets.

Dr. Isha Sharma, Assistant Professor, ICccR & HRM, along with Dr. Bhanu Pratap Singh organized the workshop and led the visit of students to IIT-Jammu.