India Innovation Studio
India Innovation Studio was a multidisciplinary course in the Walsh School of Foreign Service that incorporated political science, sociology, economics, and science. The course operated in partnership with Indian governmental and civil society stakeholders and engaged real world challenges. The class was co-taught by India Initiative Director Irfan Nooruddin and Professor Mark Giordano as part of the School of Foreign Service Centennial Labs.
Throughout the year-long course, students worked in groups to isolate a specific aspect of a development challenge, develop policy proposals using a solutions-based design thinking, and present them to stakeholders. The studio also provided experiential learning opportunities to students through travel to India. These trips allowed students to meet with local stakeholders and government officials and conduct field visits.
Yearly Focus
- 2016-2017: drought and agriculture
- 2017-2018: public health and sanitation
- 2018-2019: irrigation infrastructure
- 2019-2020: roadways
People
Featured
India Innovation Studio Students Pitch Their Policy Designs in Maharashtra
Maharashtra—India’s wealthiest state—faced a crippling drought in 2016 and continues to grapple with extreme weather conditions. In June 2017, 20 Georgetown students travelled to Maharashtra’s major cities Mumbai and Pune to study the effects of drought in the region.
Essays
India Innovation Studio: Designing for Droughts
The India Innovation Studio: Designing for Droughts was a studio-based course taught through a multidisciplinary lens in Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.
The class operated in partnership with the government of Maharashtra to design, prototype, and implement a solution to a development…