Ahemedabad, 05th March 2019: At Anant National University (AnantU), India’s First Design University, a special emphasis is laid on hands-on learning across all modules. Every year, groups of students along with faculty guides visit heritage sites and cities in India for the Related Study Programme (RSP) wherein they learn to observe, measure and document the architectural styles and layouts prevalent in those zones in historic times. The field trip exposes them to deep-rooted cultures across the country and gives them insights into how the milieu has affected Design.
Earlier this year, four groups visited Aurangabad, Mandu, Jodhpur, and Kerala respectively for an immersive outstation and showcased the outcome of their research through an exhibition in the Exhibition Gallery located on the ground floor of the campus. Aayushi Shrivastav, a first-year student who was a part of the Jodhpur RSP, says, “Exploring the Blue City was a very different experience for first-year students of Architecture. Through this field trip, we not only learnt about architectural graphics but also developed skills of observation, data collection, primary research, and sketching. AnantU provided a platform to explore a new city, its culture, clothing, food, streets, houses, people and the social fabric that has made the city what it is. Interacting with the local community at the Bishnoi and Osian villages made this related study programme all the more immersive.”
Students of AnantU are currently also preparing for their annual inter-college festival, Anushthan 2019. Based on the theme of Transpose, the four-day extravaganza includes co-curricular workshops, guest lectures, sports competitions, installation making competition and fun-filled cultural night. Subhasish Borah will be giving lessons on Zine Making, Shaunak Desai on Space and Emotion, and Abhijit Pariyar will be teaching Figurine Sculpting during the festival. In the run-up to the annual festival, the AnantU Cricket Team put up a splendid performance in the inter-college cricket festival to emerge as Champions. They successfully won their matches against Indus University, SAL Institute and SMAID in an inter-college cricket tournament organised by Nirma University.
Scheduled from 7th March to 10th March, the festival is organised and executed by the student body. Through the co-curricular axis of learning-by-doing, they are being trained in the critical life skills of leadership, teamwork, problem solving, time management, communication, and decision making.
Experiential learning is an integral part of the governing pedagogy at Anant National University. The university is committed to nurturing Solutionaries, individuals with revolutionary thinking and solution-oriented mindset. The vibrant infrastructure with a capacious Maker Space, with state-of-the-art facilities, encourages students to explore new ideas.
