ANU Promotes Interdisciplinary Learning, Urges Future-Ready Education
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, April 11: In a landmark move to introduce the transformative power of design thinking to Kashmir’s education ecosystem, Dr Anunaya Chaubey, Provost of Anant National University—India’s first DesignX University—embarked on a week-long outreach tour across the Valley. From April 9 to 15, Dr Chaubey engaged directly with students, educators, administrators, and parents, spreading awareness about the university’s pioneering interdisciplinary programmes and the immense potential they hold for shaping future-ready careers.
Dr Chaubey’s visit was more than an academic engagement—it was a wake-up call for parents and guardians across the region to reimagine education for the 21st century. Through a series of hands-on workshops and interactive sessions held at prominent institutions like Birla Open Minds International School (Pampore), NIPS Zainapora (Shopian), Life School Kashmir, WhizKids School, and ML Higher Secondary School (Bijbehara), he introduced young minds to the concept of design as a ‘mega-discipline’—one that fuses creativity, analytical reasoning, and real-world problem-solving.
The workshops, brimming with energy and ideas, not only engaged students but also opened doors for parents to witness the impact of interdisciplinary learning, a model that blends science, commerce, humanities, and technology. Parents were urged to move beyond conventional choices like engineering and medicine, and to understand how new-age fields like design, sustainability, and innovation offer equally stable and globally relevant career paths.
“These are not just art classes or drawing sessions. Design thinking is about understanding people, solving complex problems, and shaping better societies. It’s about making your child future-ready,” Dr Chaubey emphasized in his sessions, adding that such disciplines are closely aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which calls for critical thinking, creativity, and experiential learning at all levels of education.
A key element of Dr Chaubey’s message was to equip parents with the right knowledge to guide their children. He highlighted that in the age of artificial intelligence, climate change, and fast-evolving industries, students need education that is agile, holistic, and deeply rooted in real-world applications. Design thinking, according to him, teaches students not just how to earn a livelihood, but how to make meaningful contributions to society.
The outreach extended beyond schools into the cultural and governance spaces of Kashmir.
At the heart of the Kashmir visit is the showcasing of Anant National University’s trailblazing educational model, said Dr Chaubey adding passionately about their interdisciplinary curriculum that merges liberal arts, design, technology, and community engagement. Students, referred to as “solutionaries,” are mentored to address societal and environmental challenges with empathy, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit.
The University functionaries claimed that the response across South Kashmir was overwhelmingly positive. “Students, many of whom had never encountered the term “design thinking” before, expressed newfound curiosity. Parents, particularly those attending school sessions, were intrigued by the idea of an education that fosters purpose-driven learning and sustainable innovation,” they added.
“For parents in Kashmir, the message is clear: The future belongs to those who can think across disciplines, communicate effectively, innovate responsibly, and lead with empathy. Anant National University offers such a vision—one that combines cutting-edge academics with deep community roots,” Dr Chaubey said, while responding to a question by Kashmir Despatch.
Situated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Anant National University is India’s first DesignX university—a pioneer in merging design education with real-world impact. Offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes that emphasize innovation, sustainability, and interdisciplinary learning, AnantU was recently awarded a 5-Star Rating in Architecture and a 4-Star Rating in the University category by the Gujarat State Institutional Rating Framework (GSIRF) 2023–24. The institution remains committed to nurturing visionaries who can design a better, more sustainable future.
