Curiosity and good observational skills are the essential qualities we expect from the current generation, says Dean-SOD

Professor Vinay Mundada, Dean-School of Design at RV University, talks about the curriculum and teaching approach of their Design programmes in an interview with Shiksha.com. He goes into detail on the school's ‘Learning by Doing' philosophy, which is designed to assist students to become industry-ready. Besides that, the school places equal emphasis on workshops, masterclasses, internships, and numerous live projects in order to provide a high-quality learning environment.

Professor Vinay has a significant amount of academic experience.

Read the complete interview below.

Q: How do you differentiate yourself from the competition?

A: Design education in this country by-n-large follows Bauhaus philosophy of ‘Learning by Doing’ which still remains at the core of design teaching and learning. While adhering to this philosophy, we at RV University are embracing new avenues of multidisciplinary learning and would facilitate students to be more sensitive towards human behavior, culture, society and environment. This goal would be achieved by integrating the philosophy of liberal education into the design courses and projects. There would be an interdisciplinary learning opportunity for students by way of choosing a minor in any specialisation offered by the other schools at RV University (School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Economics and Finance). All the design students would be given sufficient inputs to understand the business of design and be an entrepreneur.

Q: What are the top initiatives undertaken by you that are helping your students become more industry-ready?

A: While retaining the core curriculum of design education, the curriculum will be in tune with industry requirements of today, and tomorrow by having close and regular interactions with design professionals and industry experts in validating the curriculum as well as by way of their involvement in conducting masterclasses, workshops, jury, etc. We would invite professional experts to regularly interact with students in formal as well as informal ways. Our students will get hands-on industry exposure through summer internships and industry-sponsored capstone projects.
Q: What are the key attributes that a student should have in order to qualify for your institution and perform well?

A: Curiosity and good observational skills are the essential qualities we expect from the current generation of learners that will empower them to acquire desired knowledge and skills. They should be open-minded to explore and experiment in order to come up with innovative and relevant solutions that will be most apt and appealing to the intended audience. Aspiring designers need to engage with emerging trends and technologies and should acquire and develop the best of hand and mind skills. While being doers they should also strive to be good thinkers.

To perform well, one will have to acquire the hand skills, digital skills, mental skills, life skills and exhibit them through the project work to be a good performer at RV University. One will have to be sensitive about various human, social, cultural, economic and environmental issues that impact our lives and of those around us and make the learning part of all the activities they would undertake; academic as well as co-curricular.
Q: Which programme/s would you say is/are your best? What is it that helps your institution differentiate itself for this programme?

A: This will be our first year of operation. We are in the process of designing an interdisciplinary curriculum, engaging the best of the design professionals to teach and mentor students and putting up the best of the infrastructure to ensure that all our specialisations and programmes are the best.

Q: What are you doing to improve/drive better campus placements for your current students and alumni? What kind of jobs routinely come to campus? What would you say are the key recruitment trends for your college (observed over the past five years)?

A: Even though placement activity would come up during the academic year 2022-23 for the students admitted during the academic year 2021-22, our robust curriculum developed by experienced faculty as well as industry experts would meet industry expectations.

Studio projects, internships and building a strong portfolio followed by evaluation of the students’ work by design professionals will ensure high-quality deliverables by the students as well as would facilitate better interaction and visibility of our students among design professionals in practice and Industry. Regular interaction of the design professionals with students through guest talks, jury-based evaluation, real-life projects and sponsored projects, involvement of students in faculty-driven design consultancy and research will go a long way in making our students industry ready and sought after.