Excelsior Correspondent
GANDERBAL, Nov 2: The Central University of Kashmir (CUK), under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor, Prof A Ravinder Nath, held the Steering Committee meeting of its Design Innovation Centre (DIC) at the Green Campus.
In his address, Prof Nath emphasized strengthening the DIC by integrating its activities with the upcoming School of Interdisciplinary and Vocational Studies.
He said the Centre should serve as a platform for promoting innovation, enhancing local craftsmanship, supporting entrepreneurship, and aligning with national development goals.
Director DIC, Prof Shahid Rasool, presented a detailed report on the Centre’s progress since its establishment under the National Initiative for Design Innovation (NIDI), Ministry of Education.
He highlighted various training programmes, prototypes developed in crafts, herbal medicine, and food technology, besides reviewing the financial position and future expansion plans.
The meeting was attended by external experts including Prof Manish Arora from Banaras Hindu University, Sudhakar N Rao from the Culinary Academy of India, and Dr Shahid Rasool from the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine.
They shared insights on innovation, product development, and institutional collaboration.
Rao stressed adherence to university standards in the Food Processing Lab and suggested marketing products within the university before wider commercialization.
Prof Arora called for national-level collaborations to link the DIC’s activities with the vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047”, while Dr Rasool highlighted the potential of herbal medicine and aroma technology in Kashmir.
Joint Director DIC, Dr Javaid Ahmad Wani, underlined the need to promote design thinking among artisans to make Kashmiri crafts more innovative and marketable.
Coordinator Dr Firdous Ahmad Sofal reviewed the Centre’s overall functioning and stressed extending its reach across all regions of Kashmir through spoke centres.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr Sofal.
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