40 Footwear and Design students discover Changemaking

The University of Northampton has played host this week to forty students from India’s leading University, the Footwear Development and Design Institute (FDDI).

As part of the University of Northampton’s Changemaker Summer School Programme; a programme specifically designed to spark entrepreneurial and socially innovative thinking in students; the group from FDDI have spent an intensive week discovering how the University of Northampton inspires Changemakers through the arts.

The footwear and design students have been using their problem solving skills to create social innovations to tackle the global issue of water usage in manufacturing. As part of the week-long visit, the students visited Northampton Museum and Art Galleries’ footwear archives to gain an understanding of the town’s shoe-making heritage, the University tannery; as well as practical lectures within the School of The Arts; with the aim of creating a business plan at the end of the education exchange.

Vicki Dean, Principal Lecture from the University of Northampton’s School of The Arts said: “Much like the University of Northampton, FDDI prides themselves on creating graduates with an emphasis on employability and entrepreneurial skills. The University of Northampton and FDDI are cultivating strong links; Northampton is the footwear capital of the UK and FDDI are the leading education provider for footwear in India; a strong relationship between the two institutions will create a positive force for change within the global footwear industry.”

Sakshi Doli, a first year footwear design student from FDDI said: “This is my first visit to the UK and I have found Northampton and the Changemaker summer school very interesting. This week I have learnt that to make a positive social impact, you only need to make small change. Every idea can be developed to make a change for the better.”