Nelson Mandela once said, “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.” We, at InUnity, strongly believe in this statement. That is why we have made it our mission to empower students with an entrepreneurial mindset and foster community development through innovative solutions. By offering a platform for students to explore their entrepreneurial potential, InUnity provides them with the necessary skills and knowledge to tackle real-world challenges. Through a meticulously designed curriculum and collaborative initiatives, our program encourages students to think critically, collaborate in teams, and develop tangible solutions that have a positive impact on their communities.
InUnity curated a program that began with a Talent Selection Bootcamp, a rigorous process designed to identify 50 talented students from over 10 institutions in the region. This selection process ensures that only the most driven and passionate individuals are chosen to participate in the program. These selected students become part of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Program (EMP), a transformative 6-month course facilitated by the faculty of InUnity.
The EMP program is the cornerstone of InUnity, offering students a comprehensive learning experience to develop their entrepreneurial skills and mindset. Under the guidance of experienced mentors, students engage in a series of activities that cultivate their problem-solving abilities and encourage them to think outside the box. Throughout the program, students receive mentorship sessions to refine their problem statements, build prototypes, and gain insights from industry experts.
To create a solid foundation for the EMP program, InUnity organised an orientation session that provided students with an overview of the program and set the stage for a transformative learning journey. A team bonding activity followed, fostering connections among the participants and encouraging collaborative work.
To inspire creativity and innovation, InUnity conducted a problem exploration session that focused on the importance of field research and its role in supplementing secondary data. The students learned that relying solely on existing information might not always yield accurate results but by conducting field visits, the teams were able to gather primary data, which, when combined with secondary research, led to valuable conclusions and ideas. Each team embarked on their field visits to various locations, aligned with their respective problem statements. The goal was to conduct case studies and gather relevant information directly from the field.
The field visits enabled the teams to gain firsthand knowledge and gather data that would prove crucial in developing their solutions. The insights gathered from these experiences would guide the teams in designing innovative and practical solutions tailored to meet the identified needs of their respective problem domains. The field research component of the program ensured that the students were equipped with a well-rounded understanding of the challenges they aimed to address.
Throughout the EMP program, students are exposed to a range of tools and techniques to enhance their problem-solving capabilities. Design thinking, a human-centred approach to problem-solving, forms a fundamental part of the curriculum. Students learn to empathise with the community, define problems, ideate solutions, prototype, and test their ideas.
The EMP program places a strong emphasis on mentorship and industry collaboration. Experienced mentors and industry experts conduct sessions to guide students in developing their solutions and leveraging their chosen problem domains. By providing practical insights and real-world expertise, mentors play a pivotal role in shaping the students’ entrepreneurial journey.
The program created a platform for students to become the next generation of innovative thinkers and leaders by bridging the gap between academia, industries, and communities. The EMP program equipped students not only with entrepreneurial skills but also instilled important values such as time management, meeting deadlines, effective communication, and teamwork. The Talent Selection Bootcamp organised by InUnity received a total of 569 registrations, with 181 students from various institutions participating in the bootcamp. For the design challenge, a total of 29 ideas were submitted, which were then evaluated and interviewed by the jury for the final selection. Following the successful conclusion of the Talent Selection Bootcamp, 39 students were shortlisted from the participating institutions, and an additional 13 students joined through references. This resulted in a total count of 52 EMP Fellows.
InUnity envisions a future where young individuals are empowered to actively participate in community development. By nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset and providing the necessary tools and support, InUnity aims to inspire the youth to take charge of their communities’ challenges. The program’s success lies in its commitment to knowledge, youth empowerment, and the collective efforts of its participants.
By harnessing the boundless power of knowledge and unleashing the untapped potential of the youth, InUnity envisions a future where individuals wholeheartedly embrace the responsibility of solving pressing community problems and actively contribute to the betterment of society. It is said that the strongest force lies within the young, and we wholeheartedly believe in this truth. The spirit and strength possessed by the youth of a nation hold the key to transformative growth and development, not just for themselves but for the entire ecosystem they inhabit. InUnity is dedicated to nurturing this extraordinary force, guiding it towards creating a positive ripple effect that extends far beyond individual aspirations. Together, we strive to build a generation of change-makers who shape a brighter tomorrow through their collective efforts and unwavering commitment to making a difference.