The UIF Meetup has come to an end, and here's how it went: The memories are unforgettable, the energy and laughter was contagious, and the innovative ideas were mindblowing and inspiring.
Thursday marked a bustling day at the Faculty Summit, as it brought together 79 participants from 51 diverse institutions spanning the globe, including countries like Peru, China, India, Abu Dhabi, the US, and Germany. Faculty and staff synergized on projects aimed at catalyzing change in higher education. Fourteen faculty and staff members showcased their initiatives during engaging Ignite sessions, highlighting the transformative work undertaken within their respective institutions over the past two years. These individuals were formally recognised as Faculty Innovation Fellows of the Hasso Plattner School of Design (d.school) at Stanford University.
Thursday afternoon was also the kick-off for the HBCU summit with 82 students from 23 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) learned a great deal from one another by sharing experiences, best practices, and innovative approaches to addressing common challenges in community engagement and Cultural preservation & Identity.
On Friday, the University Innovation Fellows Meet-up united attendees from the Faculty Summit, HBCU Summit, and students from the University Innovation Fellows program, totaling over 360 participants. The weekend commenced at FC Twente with an impactful discussion on sustainability and social justice, followed by an enlightening tour. Throughout the weekend, 45 workshops covering diverse topics such as Responsible Futuring, self-awareness, and Embodied Changemakers were conducted by esteemed institutions including the Hasso Plattner School of Design (d.school) at Stanford University, Hamburg University of Technology, Bowie State University, University of Twente, and Sophia University.
This meetup was the student driven experience of a lifetime. We would like to thank everyone from the UIF community for joining us for an unforgettable weekend. A special thank you the Hasso Plattner School of Design (d.school) at Stanford University for giving us the opportunity to host this powerful community. And of course to the Faculty Innovation Fellows, the DesignLab staff & community, the DreamTeamers, FC Twente, and UIF Twente for their efforts and hard work to make this meetup such a success. We look forward to see you next year in Twente!
