Emeline Gillingham, Go Global Project Officer, Asia Education Foundation Follow @emeline_su

The China Australia Millennial Project brings together young leaders from Australia and China in a cross-cultural innovation incubator to address real-world, global challenges.

This year I was extremely proud to represent Asia Education Foundation (AEF) as one of the 100 delegates selected.

Meeting my fellow CAMP delegates in Shanghai, it was clear the diversity wasn’t just in our location but also our industries and backgrounds - undeniably it is this diversity that made CAMP such a rich and enlightening experience.

Allocated to small teams, we worked remotely using the design thinking methodology to develop an innovative solution to the challenge presented to us by our Think Tank sponsors. Through WeChat and Realtimeboard amongst other tools, my team was able to share ideas, documents, organise meetings and stay in constant communication to develop our solution over 100 days in preparation for the final pitch at Sydney’s Town Hall. As we transition into an increasingly interconnected world, locally and regionally, technology will undoubtedly play a large part of cross-border collaboration within professional organisations.

To support the learning process over the 100 days, the CAMP team provided us with weekly online modules on design thinking. Design thinking is a structured process for creative problem solving based on empathy and understanding your target audience.  

“Design thinking is many things to many people, but for me it’s an opportunity to play at the “edges” not at the “centre”. Innovation after all happens at the intersection between different schools of thought. When carried out properly, the tools of design thinking let their practitioners capture the craziest of ideas and merge them into something unheard of before.” 

- Chris Nheu, 2017 CAMP delegate 

Last year, the AEF launched the Global Goals Youth Forum, a full-day program that uses design thinking to enable students to propose innovative solutions to the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Programs like this provide students and their schools with a great opportunity to develop a deeper awareness and understanding of global issues and better appreciate what it means to be an active local and global citizen. They offer students the chance to put their skills into practice to solve problems in real world situations, ultimately preparing them to take advantage of global opportunities.

"While a growing number of schools around the world are using design thinking in classrooms and empowering students to solve authentic challenges as part of an inquiry-based curriculum, this powerful process can also be used to improve the overall school experience."

In an increasingly interconnected and diverse world, educators face a number of challenges to adequately prepare our students for future success in the workforce. Using design thinking in schools provides teachers with a practical way to address the general capabilities of the Australian curriculum. 

For more information about our suite of Go Global programs, please contact Emeline Gillingham. 

Acknowledgements

Images: Infographic from China Australia Millennial Project.

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