AOD embarks on New Creative Movement in 2020 with The Colombo Innovation Tower
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Dr. Linda Speldewinde - Founder and Managing Director AOD
2019 ended on a promising note for AOD with the opening of the Colombo Innovation Tower (CIT). With AOD hosting its Reveal Graduate Talent Showcase last November under the theme ‘listen to the future ‘ at the CIT, crowds of young creatives, academics, designers, parents, innovators and industry leaders gathered there as a new way of working and learning was previewed. It was the beginning of a new movement, where talent comes directly in contact with a new world of business without being isolated in classrooms. “Listening to the future, is precisely what Sri Lanka needs right now ,the world has moved on and the skills that are core are of such a different order, disrupting our own selves and re-create ourselves to deliver to a new future, is what we we’ve done ” said AOD founder Linda Speldewinde as she shared her views on AOD’s journey so far, and what it sets out to offer Sri Lanka and the world in 2020 and beyond. Speldewinde explained how a new generation of creative thinkers produced by AOD are now out there in industry creating products in the industry alongside some others who are and making a difference by taking design from the city offices to villages while connecting and building many lives. “These young designers are the lifeblood of a new economic force. And, it is a force that Sri Lanka really needs right now, to rebuild from 2019.”
Speldewinde said that AOD has been creating talent with the kind of education and thinking that makes them stand out from the rest. “The most powerful thing about AOD talent is that all our graduates have been educated and empowered to either start their own business, or work with the industry by bringing in innovation, creativity and design thinking to products, experiences and services. This makes them extremely employable and their work, very commercially sound. This employability, commerciality and most importantly, the ability to contribute something to Sri Lanka and the world through their own thinking and work, is what makes our graduates stand out. Elevating young talent to this level is what our education ensures, and it comes with how relevant AOD has always been in terms of how we see the future of work, business and industry.”
Being one of the pioneering creative entrepreneurs in the country with global recognition, AODs ideas about the shifts in the future of the job market were interesting; especially in connection to how AOD talent will be equipped to match these shifts beyond 2020. “We all know how the design education landscape and career landscapes are rapidly changing throughout the world, especially with robotics and automation that allow us humans to engage in more complex tasks. As a result, there will definitely be some jobs that are far more in demand than the rest; and among the top skills that will be in demand beyond 2020 are creativity, and design thinking. So, AOD graduates will actually be fitting right into the optimum range when it comes to the kind of talent that the industries need. The benefits of this shift will be for our existing graduates, alumni and the new talent joining the markets as professionals from now onwards.”
Speldewinde added that AOD will kick start 2020 with a special event ‘DESIGN DECISION DAY’ held with the idea of connecting students, teachers and parents. “Design Decision Day by AOD will be held this January connecting students and parents to AOD’s international academics to help make informed decisions on higher education choices in the Creative and New Industries.
As we go forward to make a big mark with what we have done so far in bringing talent to business and so on, this day is about educating the future designers who will be making their higher education decisions today. So, if you’re a parent with teenagers who are creative thinkers, or you’re a student interested in studying design or want a career in the creative industry but wouldn’t know where to start, this becomes a great platform to start a conversation and get the right answers. So, it’s for after ALs students, and even younger students beyond 16 years who are interested and focused, and their parents and guardians. It is also for school teachers interested in expanding their curriculum and understanding where their students need to be guided. With this event (Design Decision Day), scheduled for the 25th of January 10 am – 4 pm, AOD welcomes all to visit us at the Colombo Innovation Tower, and discover for yourselves the future of creative education and work in a new future.
To register for this unique opportunity call 0775727772 to reserve your spot.
Date of Event: 25th January
Time: 10am to 4 pm
Venue: Colombo Innovation Tower, 477, R. A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 04.
AOD’s ‘Open to Public Event’, Design Decision Day is also AODs Final Call for potential post A/L and O/L students to join AODs new cohort & study at AOD, Sri Lanka’s leading design academy, graduate in 2022 & be part of a new creative careers movement . For more information 0115867772/3 or www.aod.lk