Society needs new ways to find solutions to complex, wicked, systemic problems. Similarly, universities need new ways to engage students and faculty in co-creating useful solutions with external partners (academia, business, government, non-profit, and citizen leaders) while building capacity for real-world, creative problem-solving and providing sustainable benefits to students. In addition, employers are demanding not only discipline-specific knowledge, but also skills that enable collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
The “UBC Design Challenge” is piloting Fall 2015, specifically Oct 2-4th. The Design Challenge has the following learning objectives:
- Use strategic design, methods and tools effectively in a policy analysis, design and implementation context;
- Co-create, present and critique innovative ideas with multi-sector collaborators from government, business and the not-for-profit sectors; and,
- Work effectively in inter-disciplinary teams in a studio practice environment.
The “UBC Design Challenge” is an intensive two-day program for first year undergraduate students, coordinated by the Liu Institute for Global Issues and delivered in partnership with the faculties of Arts, Science and the Sauder School of Business. Through a series of graduate-student facilitated workshops and problem solving activities, it seeks to connect the UBC community through local issues with a global scale, and task the participants to come up with local solutions to the “top 10 global policy briefs”.
And here is the link:
http://blogs.ubc.ca/designchallenge/
