+ A
A -
Tribune News Network
Doha
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) concluded ‘Design Post-COVID Normal’, the first virtual summer school in the region. The design-focused programme aimed at finding new solutions to a range of issues raised by the pandemic, specifically those related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs).
The virtual summer school, organised in partnership with SOGLAB (Turkey), NOBOX Lab (Morocco), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP-Lebanon office) and the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (Turkey), attracted the participation of more than 1,000 applicants from the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Dr. Evren Tok, associate professor and dean of innovation and community engagement at HBKU’s College of Islamic Studies, said: “COVID-19 has exposed some of the shortcomings of the current systems in supporting human needs and sustaining future generations. Over the last few months, we have seen the displacement of people, a disruption in food supply, lack of access to sanitation, and a plethora of other basic human rights placed in jeopardy.
“The United Nations Global Goals act as a framework for achieving peace and prosperity by 2030. HBKU, together with the UNDP, has identified 12 of the goals that need to be reassessed urgently to ensure a sustainable future. These goals explore issues relating to the biosphere, the economy, and societal needs.”
The virtual school was attended by 111 students, comprising 57 females and 54 males, from more than 20 countries, who were carefully selected on the basis of their interests, previous experience and knowledge of the SDGs.
Participating students were divided into groups of 20 and were then tasked with developing solution-based design projects based on the selected SDG using the UN Creative Framework.
Throughout the process, students received direct support from SOGLAB and NOBOX Lab, who designed and led the program, respectively. The month-long program featured webinars with high-level guest speakers, online workshops, and one-on-one facilitation days with each partner.
Speakers included: HE Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State; His Excellency Mr. Taha Ayhan, President of ICYF; Shaikha Ghalia Al Thani, UN Goodwill Ambassadors Michael Haddad and Ray Bassil; Rana El Chmaitelly, CEO and founder of The Little Engineer; Adnane Addoui, Ashoka fellow from Morocco; Noora and AlDana Al Hedfa, Friendship Ambassador’s Foundation; Zubair Abid, Global Shapers; Mariam Mohammed, a Young Leaders Programme alumna; Eddy Bitar, co-founder of Live Love Lebanon; Robert Garita, operation manager of ibTECHar; Asmaa Serhan, co-founder and producer of Salamati; Hany Anan, co-founder of ToRed; and Louy Ghazawi, co-founder of Infrastic.
Each week, students worked through a series of carefully executed stages – ‘inspiration,’ ‘ideation,’ ‘implementation,’ and ‘share’ – to enhance their creativity and commitment by using an abundance of resources available to them. During each of these phases, students were given the opportunity to engage in open-discussion and break-out groups to develop the key skills needed to create a successful design-based response.
“While learning and engagement were at the heart of ‘Design Post-COVID Normal,’ the program aimed at fostering leadership and a youth agency that will continue to create a better tomorrow. Students were encouraged to propose changes to the current system, enabling them to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between sustainable development and innovation, “said Dr. Tok.
“We created this program because we wanted students to use the skills they have developed in all aspects of their lives. Students can carry on the skills they have learned to make a significant impact. We don’t want this program to stop after four weeks, but we want students to take advantage of what they’ve learned in the course of one day becoming leaders and making decisions that affect their communities worldwide,” he added.
Doha
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) concluded ‘Design Post-COVID Normal’, the first virtual summer school in the region. The design-focused programme aimed at finding new solutions to a range of issues raised by the pandemic, specifically those related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs).
The virtual summer school, organised in partnership with SOGLAB (Turkey), NOBOX Lab (Morocco), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP-Lebanon office) and the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (Turkey), attracted the participation of more than 1,000 applicants from the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Dr. Evren Tok, associate professor and dean of innovation and community engagement at HBKU’s College of Islamic Studies, said: “COVID-19 has exposed some of the shortcomings of the current systems in supporting human needs and sustaining future generations. Over the last few months, we have seen the displacement of people, a disruption in food supply, lack of access to sanitation, and a plethora of other basic human rights placed in jeopardy.
“The United Nations Global Goals act as a framework for achieving peace and prosperity by 2030. HBKU, together with the UNDP, has identified 12 of the goals that need to be reassessed urgently to ensure a sustainable future. These goals explore issues relating to the biosphere, the economy, and societal needs.”
The virtual school was attended by 111 students, comprising 57 females and 54 males, from more than 20 countries, who were carefully selected on the basis of their interests, previous experience and knowledge of the SDGs.
Participating students were divided into groups of 20 and were then tasked with developing solution-based design projects based on the selected SDG using the UN Creative Framework.
Throughout the process, students received direct support from SOGLAB and NOBOX Lab, who designed and led the program, respectively. The month-long program featured webinars with high-level guest speakers, online workshops, and one-on-one facilitation days with each partner.
Speakers included: HE Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State; His Excellency Mr. Taha Ayhan, President of ICYF; Shaikha Ghalia Al Thani, UN Goodwill Ambassadors Michael Haddad and Ray Bassil; Rana El Chmaitelly, CEO and founder of The Little Engineer; Adnane Addoui, Ashoka fellow from Morocco; Noora and AlDana Al Hedfa, Friendship Ambassador’s Foundation; Zubair Abid, Global Shapers; Mariam Mohammed, a Young Leaders Programme alumna; Eddy Bitar, co-founder of Live Love Lebanon; Robert Garita, operation manager of ibTECHar; Asmaa Serhan, co-founder and producer of Salamati; Hany Anan, co-founder of ToRed; and Louy Ghazawi, co-founder of Infrastic.
Each week, students worked through a series of carefully executed stages – ‘inspiration,’ ‘ideation,’ ‘implementation,’ and ‘share’ – to enhance their creativity and commitment by using an abundance of resources available to them. During each of these phases, students were given the opportunity to engage in open-discussion and break-out groups to develop the key skills needed to create a successful design-based response.
“While learning and engagement were at the heart of ‘Design Post-COVID Normal,’ the program aimed at fostering leadership and a youth agency that will continue to create a better tomorrow. Students were encouraged to propose changes to the current system, enabling them to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between sustainable development and innovation, “said Dr. Tok.
“We created this program because we wanted students to use the skills they have developed in all aspects of their lives. Students can carry on the skills they have learned to make a significant impact. We don’t want this program to stop after four weeks, but we want students to take advantage of what they’ve learned in the course of one day becoming leaders and making decisions that affect their communities worldwide,” he added.
