From 9 to 12 December 2025, lecturers and staff from Eastern International University (EIU), together with representatives from over 20 universities across India and other Asian countries, took part in a Design Thinking training program at Singapore Polytechnic (SP).
EIU lecturers and staff at the training program
The training program equips participants with essential knowledge and practical methodologies for implementing real-world projects. Accordingly, Design Thinking consists of four core stages: Sense & Sensibility, Empathy, Ideation, and Prototyping. Through the program, the EIU team gains insights into how to apply design thinking to develop highly practical projects that generate positive impacts for the community.
Throughout the course, working groups collaboratively proposed a wide range of innovative, practice-oriented solutions aimed at developing community programs and activities that are well suited to students in a multicultural context. Participants were directly involved in observing real-world settings, understanding needs, developing ideas, and testing solutions through the Design Thinking approach.
To gain deeper insights into program implementation and enhance their capacity to effectively support students in the upcoming program, EIU lecturers and professional staff actively engaged in discussions and networking with representatives from partner institutions. This also provided an opportunity for EIU to strengthen its collaborative relationship with Singapore Polytechnic, while expanding its academic network and fostering deeper connections with the international education community in the region.
EIU lecturers and staff engaged in discussions with representatives from partner universities regarding the training program’s content.
Learning Express is a multinational, multicultural, and interdisciplinary program that focuses on addressing local challenges through creative ideas and academic knowledge developed at the university level. Students participating in the program have the opportunity to enhance both their academic competencies and soft skills, while making meaningful contributions to the sustainable development of local communities.
Building on the positive outcomes of Learning Express 2024 and TF SCALE 2025, the training program at Singapore Polytechnic is regarded as a crucial preparatory step, enabling the EIU team to continue developing plans and implementing the Learning Express (LeX) 2026 program.
The training not only deepens the EIU team’s understanding of the Design Thinking methodology and the overall project direction, but also serves as a foundational preparation for the Learning Express (LeX) 2026 program, scheduled to take place in April 2026.
Some images at the program:
