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February 28, 2017

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Home » Feature » Education

Preparing students for global challenges

SUN Haihong is an innovation strategy and design thinking expert with over 18 years of professional experience in both US and China. She is director of the Youth Innovation Academy at Western International School of Shanghai. She shares some of her education philosophies with us.

Q: What do you think are the challenges that the next generation will inherit and what role will science and technology have in addressing these challenges?

A: I think the next generation challenges are going to be more complex and grand, including real and pressing themes such as global food shortages, sustainable growth and healthcare system reform, to just name a few. All these challenges impact mankind’s future, or lack of future, in the long term. They require drastic innovations. Science and technology developments are strong foundations for the next generation to envision and realize these innovations.

Q: What specifically is important for young people to embrace when it comes to innovation?

A: What is specifically important ... is not just science and technology per se. It is the mindset for innovation, the ability to navigate the messiness of real world future situations, which are not exactly in the form of math or physics formulas. Transformational innovators need to define the problem correctly and find the right solutions first, before he/she can mobilize all resources, including but not limited to science and technology, for implementation. And this is where the design, thinking, innovation approach is really helpful in preparing our youth for future challenges. It is not a curriculum, but a systematic innovation approach to focus on people for profound innovation insights, then iterate through prototypes to test and improve the innovative solution. In other words, it is a strategy to elicit creativity rooted in empathy and gain comfort with and confidence from failure.

Q: As parents and educators, what do you believe is our role in inspiring minds to shape the future?

A: As educators, in the context of the Youth Innovation Academy, offering design thinking real world innovation immersion, I think our role first of all should be as great design thinkers ourselves. In other words, we should craft the students’ innovation experience well to foster their empathy, creativity and innovation. In doing so, we become enablers for students to begin to leverage design thinking as a powerful mindset and practical tool for learning and change. Often as a natural result, the passion and self-drive for empathy, science, technology, art, and teamwork gained through the experience will continue to guide and benefit the students over the long run, potentially even throughout their lifetimes.




 

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