AOD invites parents and school-leavers to explore its Future Forward Education Model
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AOD Campus Kick-off at Colombo Innovation Tower on the 26th of October will unveil its futuristic approach to educating young people with creative-tech-business combined skill-sets that prepare them for the real challenges & opportunities of tomorrow.
AOD is at the forefront of leading Education changes to match the needs of tomorrow. Parents have the added responsibility of picking the University that stays ahead so the qualification and skills that the students graduate with, will not be obsolete when they join the work force. Technology is changing rapidly and Design has become the skill of the 21st century, with Design Thinking ‘ the topic’ from boardrooms to mainstream customer engagement and a word buzzing in the corporate world today. This creates great opportunities for AOD potential students and this session organized will address these opportunities. To deliver to these opportunities means, radical shifts. However, the education system has been slow to respond; except for a rare few academia that have taken on the challenge to disrupt the traditional teaching systems to prepare young people for these real opportunities that await them. As a game changer in making future relevant education accessible to school leavers in Sri Lanka, AOD is on its own mission to deliver to this in collaboration with its powerful international partnerships. A rare opportunity is been organized on the 26th of October where parents and school leavers can come together to get insight. It’s a free session with prior registration on 0775727772
In 2019, AOD announced that its education offer will take a massive leap from design, to incorporate technology and business based studies as well, followed by the introduction of a new series of degrees linked to business innovation, computing sciences, and commercial design. “When my daughter was approaching her ALs, I was genuinely concerned about her future because I felt the options out there for her were, quite frankly, irrelevant to the reality of the future world. What we wanted for her was a curriculum that focused on developing critical survival skills of the current day and age; like technology, design thinking, business know-how, initiative, entrepreneurship, communication and critical thinking. And this broad spectrum of future relevant skills was exactly what we found with AOD’s offer,” said a parent of a recent AOD design graduate.
Teaching methods that meet students’ needs
Among AOD’s key strengths celebrated by parents in South Asia, are its ultra-modern teaching models that have been adapted to reflect 21st century student needs, behavioural patterns and aspirations. “For us it was important to know that our son got the learning experience that matched him,” said another parent whose son graduated from AOD’s visual communication design degree. “At AOD, students often learn outside the classroom, on field trips to local craft villages or print houses armed with different devices, or during international study tours to destinations like New York or London. Skills are not only exclusively assessed on paper but based on their performance in the field. This really resonated with us because despite being very intelligent, our son was not the type to perform well in a traditional education system where you only sat down and took notes. With this teaching method, he really flourished and did exceptionally well.”
Learning on the job, while solving real-life problems
AOD has a reputation for delivering educational content that has serious relevance to today’s business world. And this comes from a real practice that is deeply embedded into the school’s DNA, where students are encouraged to collaborate with industries, businesses, entrepreneurs and brands looking for fresh talent. Here, they get to solve real problems using their learned skills and see how their work was received by markets and consumers. This gives students the space and support to innovate, along with guidance through critical elements like inspiration, support, budget management, professional practice, industry etiquette and technical assistance. “When our son graduated from AOD’s visual communication degree, he has already worked on two real-life projects with businesses. He graduated with work experience, which we thought was an incredible head start for him,” added the parent.
Networks that connect to the right opportunities
Networks are proving to be an engine for innovation as well as a powerful scaling strategy that, for the undergraduates who need it most, can boost access to greater opportunities. For AOD students, an impressive network is already in place to drive their education—this is at the Colombo Innovation Tower. “We were excited to hear that AOD has moved to operate from the Colombo Innovation Tower where some of Sri Lanka’s most innovative businesses and world-class creative innovators from countries like the Netherlands and Germany are based. For our daughter, this means that she will be studying fashion with a fashion businesses, brands and professional designers who are in and out of the building, and constantly looking to work with young talent like herself. Coming from the apparel business myself, I know just how important this would be for her career when she graduates next year,” said another parent.
The core premise is that networks like the CIT make powerful learning experiences routinely available to AOD students, and that these undergrads will be meeting potential employers, investors and international design partners day in and day out, allowing them to establish and build upon a strong network. “We didn’t have to send our daughter abroad to get a future-proof education of international standards and real global exposure; it was possible right here in Sri Lanka, for a fraction of the cost, which was incredible for us” added the parent.
A growing career market and unprecedented employment rates
For over a decade now, AOD has maintained an impressive 100% employment rate. With a dedicated team to support students and constant encouragement to take on internships and projects that bring in industry contact AOD’s graduates have a tremendous support system and industry exposure to access the careers they really want.
The career market for designers, creative strategists, tech experts who think out of the box, and business brains that can disrupt traditional systems are also on a steady rise. “Ten years ago, if someone had told me to encourage my kids to study design and business I wouldn’t have given it serious thought. But, things really have changed. Everyone wants to employ creative brain. Everyone wants a radical thinker. It is really what is in demand right now. When I hear from my son about the kinds of jobs that are opening up to him as a design director, it’s obvious that his future is set. I think this was the best decision we made for him,” concluded an excited parent.
To register for this unique opportunity Call 0775727772 to reserve your spot.
Date of Event : 26th October
Time : 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Venue : Colombo
Innovation Tower