Sponsored Research Projects

Since 2003 I have been involved as a Consultant in the Design for Emerging Contexts (DECOS) Network, now the LENS (LEarning for Sustainability) Programme, promoted by Politecnico Milano, Italy, to facilitate ICT-based forms of comparative student projects on sustainable PSS (Product -Service System) design solutions, for campuses in India, Brazil, Turkey, China and Italy. Three such exercises on clothing care, food and furniture services designed for the IIT Delhi campus by students of the Politecnico Milano, have already been set up and evaluated by me, with the help of my Ph.D students.

Now in April 2007, the LENS initiative has been awarded a Grant under the EC's Asia-Link Curriculum Development Programme, for a partnership project titled Asian-European multi-polar network for curricula development on Design for Sustainability, focused on Product-Service System. The project duration is for three years, in which the IIT Delhi will partner with Politecnico Milano (the Applicants) and TU Delft (Netherlands), UIAH (Finland), KMITL (Bangkok), Tshingua (China) and Srishti (Bangalore). As Principal Investigator from IIT Delhi, I am expected to give academic and exchange support to the project on the themes specifically of mobility and food.

Documentation Initiative

Director, People's Archive (Education Industry and the Arts) PAEDIA , a non-profit virtual archiving initiative, aimed at promoting shared platforms of exchange between professional, expert knowledge and the skills and practices of the people of the Indian sub-continent. It has recently registered as a networking partner of LeNS. For more information, contact director@paedia.org.in

Interdepartmental Exchange

Associated Faculty, M(Des) programme, IIT Delhi (teaching, student project advising and evaluation), providing inputs on social science in user research and context-based design, design for sustainable consumption and the identification and promotion of traditional PSS and IT solutions in India's growing urban informal sector.

Workshops and Conferences

2006 (May)

Convenor, Curriculum Development Workshop on "Framing an Introductory Course on Traditional/Indigenous Knowledge" at IIT Delhi, which sought to establish a dialogue between TK/IK and the formal, academic structures of universities and government research labs. Key experts from the Knowledge Commission, the ICSSR, the IGNCA, DST, University of Delhi, JNU, Jamia Millia, XIM and NISTADS participated along with local IIT faculty and students. There was whole-hearted support offered to such an initiative emerging from the IIT system.

Curriculum Development Workshop.pdf

2009 (July)

Product Service System Design for Sustainability : Food Chain (LeNS Pilot Course Workshop 13th - 18th July, IIT Delhi)

The workshop was organised under the aegis of the LeNS project and involved the partnering institutions of Polytechnico Milano, TAIK Finland and IIT Delhi. The focus was both on framing a course as well as evaluating student design exercises based on the material presented on food services in an Italian campus.

LeNS Poster IIT Delhi Workshop '09.pdf

LeNS Pilot Workshop Schedule '09.doc