Formerly the Dean of NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) and Founding Dean of the School of Design at GD Goenka University, Dr. Gupta is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad. He was involved in the key initiative of bringing fashion schools worldwide under the umbrella of the International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes (IFFTI). He is a prolific author, editor, and consultant to national and international organizations. He has also been a member of committees & bodies at the national/international level like ASSOCHAM, CII, IFFTI, BIS, NISTI besides being on the editorial boards of scientific journals.

World University of Design

What is your vision for the World University of Design? Has it evolved over time, and how far along in implementing that vision are you?

”Empowering designing students with the most detailed & intricate education”

Today design is all around us; physical spaces, virtual spaces, electronic devices, mechanical devices, apparels and accessories, all are designed to fulfill our specific needs more efficiently than ever. Owing to the growing design consciousness among people, design is often the differentiator when it comes to making a purchase decision, thus creating a tremendous scope for the Design Industry to thrive in India. This is resulting in the creation of a handful of job opportunities for students holding a degree in design. We aim to bolster design aspirants with the finest education to become successful design professionals.

What do you see as your World University of Design’s greatest strengths?

”Indias only design university dedicated to bringing excellence & quality in the field”

In a globally competitive world, it is the quality of design that has a significant impact on the overall experience and usability of the products and services created. There are only a handful of institutions addressing this need and catering to quality in this field of knowledge and practice. WUD is India's first and only design university, focusing completely towards addressing cause while upholding global standards of design education.

What would you like people to know about your college they may not know?

“A design and innovation capacity-building grant under the ERASMUS plus program of the EU”

Focus on Research and innovation is the keystone of WUD’s vision. WUD is now working with a consortium of international partner universities including Brunel University, UK; Politecnico di Milano, Italy; University of Aegean, Greece, and IIITD Delhi.

It started its Ph.D. program within 6 months of its existence. WUD organizes a biannual International Conference on ‘Functional Textiles & Clothing’ in association with IIT Delhi. The first two conferences attracted over a hundred institutions and over 200 researchers from over 30 countries participating. WUD is a also member of Cumulus, the international body of design institutions. WUD is also a member on an international consortium “Design across Cultures” based out of the Netherlands and having partners from USA, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Korea etc.

In its very first year WUD was recognized as the ‘Most Emerging University’ by ASSOCHAM India and was ranked 2nd among the ‘Top 10 Private Universities’ in Professional Education by Education World Grand Jury Awards. 

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How does the curriculum of the World University of Design ensure the best practice of industry?

“Immersive, project-based and technology-oriented curriculum close to the real world”

Practical learning approach: Collaboration is the key. WUD curriculum is able to provide students with sufficient exposure to work across streams, doing live projects. Only such an approach will help them build their professional skills, including that in communication, brainstorming ideas and practical thinking.

Campus without Walls: The campus of WUD seamlessly integrates into its surroundings - nearby schools, workplaces, the community in which it is located, and other institutions in the state, country, and around the world. WUD encourage collaboration across institutional boundaries, creating solver communities or communities of practice.

Personalized Learning: WUD’s personalized approach allows for individualized learning and alternate modes of assessment. It supports a faster or slower pace and allows student mobility across streams and across institutions.

Open electives to provide flexibility & interdisciplinarity: WUD offers open elective courses that are interdisciplinary, addressing issues in art, aesthetics, literature, ethics, moral & political philosophy, etc. Some elective has also been planned for the entrepreneurial bent of mind with maker-spaces and innovation labs.

Using Advanced Technologies: WUD integrates the latest technologies in its course deliveries and makes sure that student are well-versed in new as well as emerging technologies.

How do you strategize about the key programs of your university?

“Huge swing towards more technical programs like product design, interior design, animation, game design, etc”

At WUD we have mapped the latest industry demands and created many new and unique programs. Each of these programs will try to equip the students with know-how of all related areas and make sure that it takes care of the ‘why’ (feasibility), for whom (empathy), and ‘how’ it will work/help (functionality). 

Some of the new programs introduced by WUD are – BDes in Computer Science & Design, Animation & Game Design, and Transportation Design; MDes in UX and Interaction Design; BBA/MBA in Design Strategy & Management; MVA in Curatorial Practices in Art, Art & Design History, Fashion Art, Contemporary Art, etc.

What is the future of careers for WUD students?

“A huge surge in the demand of designing experts in every domain of every industry” 

Careers in the creative field are on an upswing. By end of the year 2020, India’s design industry is expected to reach Rs 188.32 billion. A recent study by the British Council and IDC has revealed that financial services, retail, transportation, manufacturing, telecommunication, consumer goods, real estate, and luxury segments are employing design graduates in a big way. Large and medium-sized businesses alone are employing 57% of the design graduates. Multinational players such as Microsoft, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Sap Labs, Cognizant, and Infosys are hiring qualified design graduates by the dozen to say. There is no dearth of job openings in both the private and public sectors for competent designers and employment opportunities for both graduates and postgraduates in creative streams are only likely to multiply in the coming years.

Being the VC of the World of design, what is your philosophy on faculty leadership?

“Faculty is the cornerstone of all its activities and provide constant support”

WUD faculty comprises nearly forty well qualified professionals who have been educated and trained at prestigious institutes such as LCF - London, FIT – New York, De Montfort University UK, NID, NIFT, SPA and Delhi College of Art among others. Every single faculty at WUD comes with a long industry experience & connects. WUD has signed over 30 MOUs with the industry towards cooperation, internship & placements.

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What are some plans of WUD for international exposure?

 ”International exchanges as exposures that enhance a students' personality and broadens the vision”

International exposure is an essential part of design education. WUD has signed nearly ten MoUs with leading educational institutions across the globe to facilitate a constant exchange of students, scholars, research topics on every subject - Vancouver Film School & Emily Carr University (Canada); University of Huddersfield & Oxford Brookes University (UK); ENSAIT and Académie Charpentier (France); University of Utrecht (Holland), HAMK (Finland) and College of Creative Studies, Michigan (USA). In 2019, ten students went on a semester exchange with these universities.

Besides exchanges, WUD also invites professors of Design from around the world to come and teach at WUD. Eminent scholars visiting the campus include Prof. Osmund Rehman, Ryerson University; Prof. Elizabeth Rose, University of Otago; Prof. Paul Inman, Pro VC, Oxford Brookes University; Prof. Parik Goswami, University of Huddersfield; Prof. Sarah Mills, Leeds Beckett University, etc.