Design Thinking at the 4th CBSE National Summit on School-to-Work Transition
Mathew Sebastian
Founding Board Member, HCD Institute
On 26 and 27 October 2026, the Central Board of Secondary Education, under the Ministry of Education, convened the 4th CBSE National Summit on Facilitating School to Work Transition at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. Mathew Sebastian, Design Strategist and Founder of The Institute of Human-Centred Design, was invited to speak on the summit's Design panel.
The panel, titled Design Thinking, Creativity & Innovation for Skill Development, was chaired by Sh. Sanjib Das, Director (Affiliation), CBSE. Mathew shared the stage with Sh. Sundeep Chhabra, EdTech and Skill Development Leader, and Sh. Joseph Christo, National Head, HR & Administration, Joyalukkas.
What we discussed
One question ran through the whole conversation. How do schools prepare students for a working world that AI is reshaping faster than any syllabus can be rewritten? Mathew’s answer centred on four ideas.
Getting ready for a future with AI. When AI can produce answers on demand, value shifts to people who can frame the right problems, understand the people they are designing for, and judge what is worth building.
Design thinking as a core capability. Design thinking is a horizontal creative tool. It helps students understand, ideate, solve and build, whether they go on to engineering, research, business or public service. It is not only a path into a design career.
Phenomenon-based learning. Learning anchored in real-world phenomena rather than isolated subjects, so students connect science, society and making within a single inquiry.
Projects and student internships. Tangible classroom projects and real internships change how students see themselves. They move from consuming knowledge to producing work that other people can use.
What comes next: a projects and internship platform
HCD Institute will soon launch a projects and internship platform with DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad. It will connect students with real projects and internship opportunities, and it builds on the design thinking curriculum that HCD Labs already deliver in schools with DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad faculty.
Schools, colleges and organisations that want to take part can write to us at dic@hcd.institute.
Our thanks to CBSE and the Ministry of Education for the invitation, and to Sh. Sanjib Das for chairing a thoughtful conversation.
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Design Thinking at the 4th CBSE National Summit on School-to-Work Transition
Mathew Sebastian
Founding Board Member, HCD Institute
On 26 and 27 October 2026, the Central Board of Secondary Education, under the Ministry of Education, convened the 4th CBSE National Summit on Facilitating School to Work Transition at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. Mathew Sebastian, Design Strategist and Founder of The Institute of Human-Centred Design, was invited to speak on the summit's Design panel.
The panel, titled Design Thinking, Creativity & Innovation for Skill Development, was chaired by Sh. Sanjib Das, Director (Affiliation), CBSE. Mathew shared the stage with Sh. Sundeep Chhabra, EdTech and Skill Development Leader, and Sh. Joseph Christo, National Head, HR & Administration, Joyalukkas.
What we discussed
One question ran through the whole conversation. How do schools prepare students for a working world that AI is reshaping faster than any syllabus can be rewritten? Mathew’s answer centred on four ideas.
Getting ready for a future with AI. When AI can produce answers on demand, value shifts to people who can frame the right problems, understand the people they are designing for, and judge what is worth building.
Design thinking as a core capability. Design thinking is a horizontal creative tool. It helps students understand, ideate, solve and build, whether they go on to engineering, research, business or public service. It is not only a path into a design career.
Phenomenon-based learning. Learning anchored in real-world phenomena rather than isolated subjects, so students connect science, society and making within a single inquiry.
Projects and student internships. Tangible classroom projects and real internships change how students see themselves. They move from consuming knowledge to producing work that other people can use.
What comes next: a projects and internship platform
HCD Institute will soon launch a projects and internship platform with DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad. It will connect students with real projects and internship opportunities, and it builds on the design thinking curriculum that HCD Labs already deliver in schools with DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad faculty.
Schools, colleges and organisations that want to take part can write to us at dic@hcd.institute.
Our thanks to CBSE and the Ministry of Education for the invitation, and to Sh. Sanjib Das for chairing a thoughtful conversation.
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