How can Design Thinking offer more entrepreneurial agency and cultural exchange? After two successful years working with students in Nairobi, it was time to bring Impact Week to Lagos - the Innovation Capital of Western Africa.
The Impact Week introduces Design Thinking to students and academic staff throughout a ten-day event. All Impact Weeks start with Train-the-trainer workshops. During this two-day event, all trainers go through the Design Thinking process the same way the students will be during the main Impact Week event, in which teams of students tackle real-life problems with user-centered-design approaches.
The final Impact Week of 2017 was hosted by UNILAG (University of Lagos) in the newly established Center for Innovation, which’s mission is to support students with entrepreneurial ambitions. Overall 156 students from various departments within the university participated. Additionally, several professors trained in Design Thinking and supported the student teams during Impact Week.
We are excited to have a team of UNILAG professionals, Lufthansa international staff and other experts come together with around 200 students to develop their skills, broaden and take on the tasks of thinking about solutions for socio-economic challenges right here.
11 employees from Lufthansa Group, as well as 9 international experts, ventured to Lagos and were joined by 6 local Lufthansa colleagues to train as Design Thinking coaches and collaborate with professors and students from UNILAG.
Students joining the program were asked to form teams and choose one of the following tracks as the problem space for their team.
Impact Week is a non-profit program that unites people from a variety of countries and organizations. It promotes innovation and entrepreneurship skill progression in developing and emerging economies as a foundation for sustainable growth by establishing sustainable business models using Design Thinking. It equips the next generation for employment, to become inspiring leaders – successful agripreneurs, entrepreneurs, and game-changers, regardless of their field or level of expertise.