At FSE's first WiSTEM2D (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design) Innovation Challenge, students learned the solution-focused “Design Thinking” methodology.
On 15 September 2023, the Faculty of Science and Engineering partnered with Janssen Australia and New Zealand (pharmaceutical companies under the Johnson & Johnson umbrella) to host the inaugural WiSTEM2D (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design) Innovation Challenge.
The action-packed day saw 15 FSE students from various fields of study learn and apply “Design Thinking” methodology; a non-linear, iterative process used by teams to understand stakeholders, challenge assumptions, redefine problems, and create innovative solutions for prototyping and testing. There are typically five phases: empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test, and design thinking is useful for tackling ambiguous problems.
At the end of the day, each group applied their new skills, presenting their innovative solution for improving well-being on campus, acting this out in a few minutes.
Participants said they valued the project-based learning experience, with overwhelmingly positive feedback, praising the facilitators for maintaining the momentum throughout the day.
The Innovation Challenge provided a highly effective platform for students to interact with peers from diverse study areas and to learn from our industry partners.
While our aim was to inspire participating FSE third-year students, we were also inspired by their passion, out-of-the-box thinking, and innate leadership capabilities, and predict that all our participants will go on to achieve incredible things.
Hopefully, this collaboration with Janssen Australia and New Zealand will be the first of many.
Thank you to Lizzy Clarkson and the Student Experience Team for their support, ensuring that everyone had a wonderful experience.
FSE Representatives were Professor Samuel Muller, Dr Natasha Fernandes, Dr Thomas Fung and Dr Devika Kamath, and Professor Jian Yang was instrumental in organizing the event. Professor Linda Beaumont, Deputy Dean of Education and Employability, gave an inspiring welcome presentation to kick-off the day.