Sonipat, 10 September 2020: The Jindal School of Art & Architecture (JSAA), an interdisciplinary school of O.P. Jindal Global University, has signed several Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with reputable organisations and institutions, opening up several opportunities of internships for its students across its academic programmes in Architecture, Built Environment Studies and Interior Design at the JSAA.
The JSAA has pioneered architecture, built environment and design education in the country by removing disciplinary divides and infusing a multidisciplinary ethos in its curricula. The school uniquely allows students to design their own curriculum and a possibility of graduating simultaneously in a minor subject of their choice along with their core courses. The internship programme will further strengthen its commitment to produce professionals who are – first and foremost – adept at building and making by allowing the learners to engage with hands-on training during their respective internship tenures.
Partner organizations include:
• WWF India
• Neemrana Hotels
• Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC)
• ATO Architecture, Seoul, South Korea
• QN urban architecture lab, Seoul, South Korea
• TRIPP, IIT Delhi
• Hyderabad Urban Lab
• Scan the World for my Mini Factory, London, United Kingdom
• McGill University, Montreal, Canada
• Ashoka Trust for Research on Ecology and Environment (ATREE)
• Herman Miller
• CBRE
• Center for Science and Environment (CSE)
• JLL
• Mandala Lighting
• Observer Research Foundation
• Stir World
• Space Design Consultants
• Scan the World, London, United Kindgom
• Rereeti Foundation for Museums and Galleries, Bengaluru
• Center for Art and Social Practice (CASP), New Delhi
• Opus Indigo
• Jackfruit Research and Design
Announcing the first set of MoUs, the Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar observed: “This is a fantastic opportunity that has been created for the students of the Jindal School of Art & Architecture (JSAA). The fact that our students can pursue meaningful opportunities of experiential learning as interns in some of the leading organisations will lay the foundation for their future professional practice in field of architecture, interior design, community planning and Development and urban design. It also enables the students of JSAA to connect the theoretical foundations of design knowledge and the practicum and studio-based learning on campus with the professional experience and opportunities that is needed by working in these organisations. There is no better way than these internships to apply the knowledge that one gains in a School of Art & Architecture in the real work of practice.”
The aim of these MoUs is to help overcome divide between the practice and the academia, often described as a major obstacle in India, which compromises employability of graduates across fields. These mandatory internships will ensure that the students of JSAA are industry-ready and equipped for the attainting the next levels of excellence in the academia. Emphasising this commitment, the Dean of the Jindal School of Art & Architecture (JSAA), Professor (Dr.) Thomas Mical said: “In this time of great uncertainty, hope for the future increases through cooperation and partnerships. These agreements forecast many positive futures between JSAA and the top creative industries and firms. These internships are an opportunity for JSAA students to influence the professional world of architecture and beyond. We should work towards crafting future environments that can shelter and ennoble, where the inhabited world is improved though flexibility and material innovation, and operating at the highest level of care in the professions by integrating ethical practices with intelligence concerning ecologies.”
The diversity of institutions that will host interns from JSAA highlights its commitment to opening newer avenues for the students instead of limiting them merely to traditional options such as architectural and design firms. “Our interdisciplinary curricula with its minor areas of concentration in law, communication, environment and sustainability studies, business, entrepreneurship, policy and liberal arts trains our students unlike any other designers in the country. The diversity of internships that we provide our students is designed to not only encourage the use of core design skills but also position them as people who can emerge as game changers in the development of our built environments by working and influencing allied areas of busines, finance, law, policy, etc.” said the Vice Dean of JSAA, Professor (Dr.) Jaideep Chatterjee.
Admissions for the 2020-21 academic year are open. Places are limited.