University innovation fellows | the changemakers of the future
INTRODUCED BY...
Project overview
UIF is an educational programme given by Stanford's d.School. It trains students in design thinking and empowers them to become change-makers within their university's ecosystem.
In short
How it started
The University Innovation Fellows programme empowers students to become agents of change at their schools. The Fellows are a global community of young leaders working to ensure that all students gain the necessary attitudes, skills and knowledge required to compete in the economy of the future. Fellows create new opportunities that help their peers develop an entrepreneurial mindset, build creative confidence, seize opportunities, define problems, and address global challenges. They are creating student innovation spaces, founding entrepreneurship organizations, hosting experiential events, and working with faculty and administrators to develop courses. They serve as advocates for lasting institutional change with academic leaders and represent their schools at national events. The University Innovation Fellows is a program of Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). Mascha and Miriam (Co-Directors of DesignLab) were the driving force behind the collaboration with Stanford University. Since 2016, DesignLab and Stanford have been working together to give students the opportunity to make a change in higher education.
Objectives
The goals of UIF:
- Creating opportunities for students that help their peers unlock their creative potential
- Develop the design-centered mindset required to take on complex challenges in today's world
- Work together to fill in the gaps within the university's ecosystem
From process to realisation
The University Innovation Fellows work together to make a change in higher education. They initiate projects themselves with various stakeholders. The UIF team aims to achieve the following goals within their projects:
- Inspiration: Inspiring students at the University of Twente to come up with new ideas and to turn them into reality.
- Education: Educate students about design thinking methods to equip them with the right tools to act on their ideas.
- Support: Supporting students in their ideas by becoming part of their initiative, joining a brainstorm or merely answering questions.
- Communication: Facilitating communication between students, student initiatives and university bodies.
- Community: Building together with European institutions and the University of Twente a community of visionaries to become the European Hub
Results
UIF has countless projects. From local to international, these students are involving all values and disciplines to fill in the gaps in higher education. A few projects that are:
Bonus content
In this special edition of the DesignLab Brew podcast about educational innovation, UT student and team member UIF Twente Panashe Mangezi, and co-founder and manager DesignLab, as well as Faculty Innovation (Founding) Fellow and coach Miriam Iliohan, proudly explain how this programme is embedded in the UT ecosystem, and what it means for the personal and professional development of students.
Below is a recap of when the UIF cohort from the States came to visit us in Twente a few years ago... And stay tuned, because this year's recap video of the UIF Meetup (that took place in DesignLab) will be up soon!
Meaningful impact
The University Innovation Fellows programme empowers student to become agents of change at their schools. These students are given the tools and skills to make their futures tangible. These students and faculty have a shared language to work across positions and disciplines to make a change.
Looking ahead: What you can do
Every organisation, company and government body has them. The freethinkers. The change-makers. The frontrunners. Those on the brink of change. Wanting to break new grounds. And social impact can't be done alone. That's why there is a whole team of change-makers waiting for you. Let's be the wave of change together. Shift expectations now.