The University of Notre Dame is proud to announce the Social Design Exchange Program with India through a course titled Social Design: Initiatives, Challenges, & Innovation. Taught and developed by Professor Neeta Verma, the course is a new pilot partnership between The Department of Art, Art History & Design, and the National Institute of Design (NID), India. The course pairs ND students with NID students to explore and identify social issues within the framework of cross-cultural inquiry. Students get a closer look at social inequities within a new paradigm and socio-economic parameter of a rapidly evolving country (India) and its pluralistic culture. Then return home with re-energized perspectives on those very same issues here in the United States.
As part of this course during summer 2017, students from Notre Dame traveled 8,000 miles and worked collaboratively with NID students in India. In September, students from NID, India arrive at Notre Dame to continue the project. The course, a solution finding process, that not only requires students to seek resolution but understand the context where in their solutions find congruity. It requires a deep understanding of social competency and a frame of reference in which the solutions offered will function.
On Thursday, September 21, the department will host a reception in Cregg Commons, West Lake Hall, to showcase the partnership, participants and the work undertaken by students between 5 PM and 7 PM with a reception to follow featuring Indian cuisine. Please join us for the celebration!